The Wisdom of Teeth
by Sirenidae
Summary: When Draco and Ginny are thrown together in the recovery process after their wisdom teeth removal surgery, they discover something about themselves in the process. DMGW WIP alternate summer of the 7th book and beyond.
1. Chapter 1

**I have no idea why I am writing this. Well, okay I do. I just got my wisdom teeth out the other day and in all the glory of my drugged-up-ness, my fan fiction addled mind must have thought that it would be ultimately hilarious if Ginny and Draco got their wisdom teeth out too. Of course it made complete sense on vicodin and not so much anymore but who cares!!!**

**Please, as always, review!!!!**

**Also JK Rowling owns everything and I am not making any money from this and am therefore STILL a poor college student.**

* * *

Mrs. Weasley was getting really impatient. "Ginny! Now!" The angry voice floated up to the youngest of the Weasley family through the main staircase in the burrow.

Cringing when she heard it, the nervous Ginny sighed, and twisted her split ends. "Okay," she called back passive aggressively.

The red-head sighed again as her stomach rumbled. She hadn't been allowed to eat anything for the past six hours, and being hungry always pissed her off a little.

"Ginevra Weasley! For goodness sake we absolutely cannot be late! Now I want to hear your footsteps on the staircase IMMEDIATELY!"

Ginny didn't jump like she normally would have when she was younger, but instead she got up from her position on her bed and crossed her room to the mirror.

Scrunching up her nose she gazed at her teeth. _They don't look _that _bad, _she thought. _ I can't even see the crowding that everyone is talking about._

She closed her mouth and looked morosely at her reflection again. _How can my whole face be changed just by taking out a couple of teeth? I can't even see them._

"God, Ginny," she said to her mirror self, holding her head in her hands. "Why are you so scared about getting your wisdom teeth out? You've faced worse." _Much worse…_ she thought as she could hear her mother's footsteps climbing the staircase.

Ginny scuttled out of her room. "Okay, okay, mom, I'm coming, don't come up here!" Ginny shut the door tightly on her room, with one last peek at her reflection.

_Maybe this surgery will make be a pretty as Fleur…_ Ginny smiled sadly to herself, knowing that no one in her family would be as pretty as Fleur. _Well, I can dream can't I?_ She was busy day dreaming as she walked down the stairs and came face to face with her mother.

"What did I tell you about the timing for this morning?" Her mother's face was bright red and shaking. Ginny skirted around it to get to her shoes and jacket.

"Sorry, mum," the girl mumbled, bending over to put her shoes on.

"Sorry? That's _all _you have to say? You know there is a war going on and we are lucky enough to get protection as far as the hospital! _And _you know we are also lucky enough for you to be even getting this surgery!It's not like St. Mungo's just has extra beds lying about, Ginny are you listening to me?"

But Ginny, who was lazily tugging on her jacket, pretending that it was a gown just shook her head pertly.

Mrs. Weasley gazed at her youngest and sighed. "They never learn, do they?" She said to no one in particular. She bustled her daughter out the door and down the drive to the portkey that was waiting to take them to St. Mungo's.

"I'll just blame your behavior on the lack of food, shall I?" Mrs. Weasley said absentmindedly, looking around to see if the coast was clear.

Ginny giggled. "Sure, mum, but I bet this surgery will be hard on you too."

"Why is that, dear? Oh here is the portkey. Take hold on three…"

"Because I will barely be able to eat anything for a couple of days." Ginny looked up at her mother and smiled.

"One…two…" Mrs. Weasley smiled back. "Three!"

________________________________________________________________________

"That's three times your mother has called Master Draco, and I don't think she'll wait for another before she uses magic on you…" The replacement house elf for Dobby was not as good as its predecessor but she did just fine.

"_Thank _you, Ella, that's quite enough." Draco brushed away the fussing hands of his house elf who had been brushing off his black sweats. "They're just sweats. No need to ruin my nice clothes for this surgery."

Draco Malfoy turned back to his floor length mirror and studied himself. He had found the right combination of looking cool while still being comfortable. He smirked at his reflection, taking delight in what was to come.

_Once the surgery was out of the way, then I have a whole two weeks of mother doing whatever I want._ His smile broadened. _This really couldn't get any better._

"Draco, darling, are you coming? The ministry car should be here any moment, and you know what healers are like about the time and everything…" His mother's voice rang out from the foyer below.

"Coming," he called back, snatching his coat from Ella's hands. "See you later, Ella; I get to be high for the next 24 hours."

"Very good, Master Draco. I'm sure you'll have a great time." The house elf had a bored tone, and wasn't at all frightened of her masters, the Malfoys. At least not to the extent of what Dobby once was.

Draco was frowning at his elf's behavior when he descended the staircase to his mother who was waiting for him, her hand on the doorknob.

"Draco," she said, spying his frown. "What's wrong?" She smiled slightly. "You're not nervous are you?"

Draco jerked his head up. "Mother, shall we go?" He rushed past his mother and into the car, determined to show he was not nervous in the least. Because he really wasn't.

He had gone to the check-up the week prior and they had explained the surgery to him.

"You won't feel a thing, once we put you under the spell. The only side effects are some mild hallucinations, a sense of lost time and an overall feeling of drowsiness. That doesn't sound too bad now, does it?" The healer had asked Draco, rather condescendingly.

_Not bad at all_, Draco had thought. _It just seems like it will be one big trip_.

Now in the ministry car driving toward St. Mungo's, Draco was actually beginning to feel excited.

He was never allowed to do drugs at home during the summer and what with his sixth year at Hogwarts being so bloody awful and the Dark Lord taking up residence in their house…_well_, Draco conceded to himself. _I deserve a bit of a break from reality_.

He smiled at his mother, who was patting his hand and smiling at her son. "Soon this will all be over."

Draco didn't know if she was talking about his wisdom teeth surgery or the whole thing with the Dark Lord. But he didn't mind, just as long as he would get some proper drugs out of all this.

________________________________________________________________________

"Here you go, Dearie," one of the medi-witches was busy making sure Ginny's chair was properly adjusted to her height, and busy ignoring Ginny's look of disgust at being addressed like a two year old.

"Thanks," Ginny said slowly waiting for her mother to stop flirting with the main mouth-healer who looked like he could have been professor Lockhart's distant cousin. "Mum! You can leave now," Ginny told her mother firmly, trying to sound brave. Her wavering voice betrayed her and her mother noticed.

"Good lord, Ginny, you're still not nervous about the surgery, are you?" Mrs. Weasley left her post next to the handsome healer and bustled over to her daughter, mildly distracted.

Looking behind her shoulder Mrs. Weasley added, "The very nice Healer Remy had assured me personally that this is just a routine operation and everything will be fine."

Noticing that her mother wasn't really paying attention to her, Ginny sighed, resigned to the fact that her mouth was about to be tampered with. "Thanks, mum. I appreciate your sympathy. Will you at least be waiting for me on the other end of the procedure?"

"Ahh…" Mrs. Weasley looked sideways. "No. I can't. Listen, sweetheart," Molly leaned in close to her daughter and whispered.

"The portkey is only available for another half hour and it's not really safe for anyone to be wandering around now anyway, but I and the rest of the family will be back to check on you in a couple of days."

Mrs. Weasley straightened up and spoke a little louder. "Now how does that sound? There's a good girl."

The handsome healer strode towards them now, frowning and looking at a file full of parchment through magnifying glasses that made him look like a bug.

"Everything alright, Healer Remy?" Mrs. Weasley asked, catching the frown.

The healer looked up, startled, as if he had forgotten there were other people in the room.

"Oh yes, quite alright, but there is a bit of a space crunch going on right now so we will have to conduct the surgery and recovery with another young man scheduled at the same time as you, Ginevra, I hope you don't mind. I believe he is a fellow student of yours actually…"

Ginny perked up at this and noticed that her mother was already looking perkier than her. She tried not to laugh, but was brought back to the subject at hand, interested.

"Who is it?" Ginny asked, watching the medi-witch turn her chair around in order to make room for another chair.

"Um…hold on, it says it right here…" Healer Remy riffled through the parchment. "Ah, here it is." He put his finger down on the page and read, as if for the first time.

"Draco Malfoy."

________________________________________________________________________

In a room down the hall from Ginny's, the very classmate just mentioned was having a hard time keeping his mouth shut.

"I'm sorry, I must have heard you wrong. Who am I sharing my well paid for surgery and recovering time with?"

"Ginevra Weasley. Do you know her?" Draco's medi-witch was gazing at the tall blonde in the chair being readied for apparition transport.

"Do I know her…" Draco trailed off, looking around for his mother for some family, and perhaps, if needed, monetary support.

But Narcissa Malfoy had left the building. Or at least the room anyway. Draco never knew what she did out in public, she was only allowed so little time apart from the Manor these days anyway, Draco couldn't get angry.

_Not at her anyway,_ Draco thought, remembering Ginny. _What in the world is money for if you can't even buy privacy anymore?_ But Draco's subconscious reminded himself of the dwindling funds in the Malfoy family trust and even he wouldn't have protested upon a private surgery.

Oh well, he would have to make the best of it.

"Yea," he conceded to the medi-witch who beamed at him. "I do know her."

_At least I'll be high…_ Draco was reminded satisfactorily of this fact when he was apparated into the room right next to the tiny, freckled terror.

She was staring at him, mouth open. Clearly she had just been given the news as well.

"I know, weasel. This sucks." Draco watched mildly curious as the medi-witch inserted a needle into the vein of his arm. He looked back up at Ginny who was going through the same process.

"I swear to god, if you give me a bad trip…" Draco trailed off as the healer made an announcement to the both of them.

"You should be feeling the effects of the drug right about now…"

Draco heard Ginny mutter 'whoa' and he smirked as a slippery, foggy feeling washed over him.

The healer continued in a slower, watery voice. "And you should be falling asleep… Now."


	2. Chapter 2

**Shout out to my ONE reviewer of this story (hopefully so far) scubarang. YOU ROCK!  
**

**anyhoodle...i just realized that they are both kinda young to be getting this procedure done but I DON'T CARE because they belong together.**

**this story is supposed to be on the funnier side so let me know if im doing that**

**p.s. JK Rowling still owns harry potter and i don't**

* * *

Ginny's eyelids felt sticky and like water at the same time. She blinked them open very slowly and kept them half down when she finally regained control.

The room before her was foggy around the edges and she tried to touch it. There was a dull ache in her mouth but the feeling was so far in the back of her dull mind that she hardly dwelled upon it.

Her eyes closed again, she was so tired. Heavy and floating above everything at the same time.

Time. She realized that she didn't know what time it was and suddenly it became very important for her to find a clock.

Turning her head she swore that she heard her brain slosh about inside of it and giggled at the sensation. Abandoning her search for the clock, she moved her head rapidly back and forth to regain the funny feeling and laughed out loud.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" A slurred voice drawled from her left.

Ginny whipped her head back and forth unnecessarily before focusing on the occupant one bed over.

Draco was watching his hands do weird things with the fingers and was blinking regularly like the ticking of a clock.

"Clocks tell time!" Ginny stated to herself.

"What time is it anyway?" She addressed this question to Draco, whose bed, she would remember later, was closer than usual for a hospital as there were many other patients in the recovery room.

"Dunno." Draco mumbled unhelpfully, still blinking on a beat and watching his body for more interesting signs. "But can you see them?" he asked Ginny, looking at her for the first time with unfocused eyes.

"See who? Who's there?" Ginny looked under her arms and behind her back.

"Little. Tiny. ANTS!" Draco yelled, bursting into laughter. "They're everywhere! Oh Merlin, this is so awesome."

Ginny couldn't help but laugh with him, but she couldn't see the ants. "I can't see them. Or a clock."

Draco nodded wisely. "Time means nothing here, weasel, remember that."

Ginny nodded grimly. "Okay. Don't call me weasel."

"Why?" Draco was back to looking at his ant covered body.

"Because it's mean." Ginny crossed her arms across her chest. "Duh."

"But that's what I call your brother. And you guys are related right?" Draco had given up on trying to count the little bugs and was now preparing to eat them off his fingers.

Ginny thought about that. "Well…yes, I suppose, but still…Hey! Don't bite your fingers!" She laughed at the thought of a no-fingered Malfoy.

Draco popped his fingers out of his mouth and laughed along with her. "I won't!" He cried in between gasps of laughter. "I promise, I won't."

Ginny felt the noise they were making infect her system and her brain told her that she could be funny.

"I mean, what would all the girls say when they found out that you had no fingers!" She didn't hold back her mirth.

To her surprise, Draco laughed all the harder. "Fingers!" he splayed them out and wiggled them in her direction. "That was fucking funny weasel."

She sat bolt upright, admonished but still smiling. "I _told _you," she said, trying to keep her giggles from her voice. "Don't call me that."

"Okay, okay," Draco conceded and they both lay back on their pillows giggling randomly and still smiling.

"This is so…_weird._ Isn't it?" Ginny asked finally after some time. Or no time, she didn't really know.

"Yeah, but what were you expecting? They can't keep all the fun to themselves now, can they?" Draco sounded wise again.

Ginny agreed although she had no idea who 'they' were and what 'they' were keeping from 'them'.

Draco was enjoying the feeling of his tongue against the air and didn't check his next words before they came out. "You know," he said with a bit of a lisp, as his tongue was still sticking out of his mouth. "I do know that you aren't really a weasel. You're human."

Ginny thought this was obvious. "Yeah I know I'm human."

"No, no. I mean I don't actually compare you to a weasel in my head, its more like just an insult that works well with your name." He was frowning, hoping that he could explain himself correctly so he didn't look like an idiot.

"Oh, okay. I still think you're a git though."

Draco didn't mind and chuckled. "I probably am."

"No you are, don't worry." Ginny felt her smile creep back onto her face. This was fun. They could insult each other without feeling angry. The other way, the way they did it in school, took a lot more effort. She told Draco this.

"It's like, because everyone is watching, you have to make it really good." She explained further.

He nodded. "I know! And it has to be current event based too, so it's like I have to know everything embarrassing that happened to you that week. It's so _tiring._"

"So true." Ginny said. "This way is much easier. Friendly fire, right?"

Draco barked a laugh. "I don't think that applies because we aren't actually hurting each other like in a duel."

"Well not physically." Ginny frowned. Why the hell did she just say that?

"What?" Draco jerked his head up. "What do you mean?"

Ginny was embarrassed now. "You know, like the whole sticks and stones thing? Except to some people, insults do hurt. So actually nothing like the sticks and stones thing. Forget it. I don't know what I'm saying."

But Draco didn't let it go. "You mean that you get _hurt_ when I insult you?" he sounded vaguely disgusted.

Ginny rushed to clarify. "No, not you in particular. And not me in particular, either. I'm just saying, some people get hurt when you insult them, that's all."

"Oh," Draco paused, thinking. "Like you?"

"NO!" Ginny shouted, really embarrassed that she had messed up.

A medi-wizard came rushing over to them at the sound of her annoyed shout. He looked concerned at first, but after realizing that it was just a couple of kids after wisdom surgery, he took a more stern approach.

"Listen, kids, there are some people in here who really need the rest, so if you can just be a little quieter…"

Draco and Ginny looked at the medi-wizard, annoyed.

Draco started to say, loudly, that he had paid for this spot but the healer interrupted him.

"If you two know each other and want to chat, I suggest moving your beds closer together to try and reduce the disturbance you are causing."

Ginny looked around the ward. No one looked disturbed. In fact, she couldn't even tell if there were people in the beds, they all just looked like fluffy clouds.

She was about to inform the medi-wizard of this when he turned and walked away. She was grumbling to herself when her thoughts were interrupted by a scraping metal noise from next to her.

Ginny turned her head to see Draco out of his bed, pushing it towards her. And making quite a racket in the process.

"What are you doing?" She hissed, but liking the way her voice sounded in a hiss, it had sounded more like: "Whhhhhaaaaatrrrrreeeuuuuuudooooooin?"

Draco looked like this was taking a good deal of effort to push his bed closer to hers, even over such a short distance.

"I'm not done insulting you and I don't want to get yelled at again."

Ginny raised her eyebrow and wondered what it would look like if she only had one eyebrow.

"What? Don't look at me like that." asked Draco, pissed that no one was helping him movie his abnormally heavy, (or was he just abnormally weak?) bed over to Ginny's. It also vexed him that he was doing it in the first place.

Why the hell would he want to get _closer_ to the Weasley chit?

_For insulting purposes, _he reasoned with himself. _That's it._

Finally achieving his goal, Draco stood, surveying the result. Okay, so he might have pushed the bed too far, it was right next to hers, with no space between.

_Ah! Who cares? _He asked himself. He was too tired to move it back now and he was feeling twice as lightheaded as before.

To avoid fainting, Draco flung his body down dramatically and instantly regretted it.

The move made his jaw rattle and the momentum brought his body too close to Ginny's. But in his drugged state, Draco didn't care.

"Hi," he said in a stage whisper. "Now we can _really _fight." They both giggled.

"We could totally fight each other too," Ginny joked. "Because, you know, we have the best reflexes now."

Draco frowned. "That's what I just said, stupid."

But Ginny just smiled and snuggled deeper under her covers. "We'll fight later, I'm tired now." Her eyes closed and she fully enjoyed the effect of drifting off to sleep being rocked by a non-existent ocean.

Draco watched her slip from consciousness and was annoyed. Now there was no one to entertain him. And after he had done all that work moving his bed closer and everything.

But he was feeling sleepy too and he let his eyes close, almost all the way, leaving cat like slits, watching Ginny breathe in and out as she dreamed.

The panels of sunlight inched slowly across the room as a clock, one that Ginny had never been able to locate before, ticked in the distance. Muted voices and the buzz of activity lulled Draco into a deep mediation.

He hadn't allowed himself to fall asleep, he didn't want to. He wanted to ride this high out for as long as he could. His gaze moved from the freckled red-head to the approaching light and he was mesmerized by the dust specks floating in the square.

Despite his misgivings before the surgery, being with Ginny really wasn't _that_ bad. At least it wasn't her brother or another one of the merry trio. He didn't think he could have stomached that.

_Too righteous for their own good._ He thought angrily. Although he didn't blame them for hating him. At least not for what he did this past spring. And everyone knew Dumbledore liked them the best, but it wasn't his fault. He had _had _to at least try. He didn't even do it in the end.

He sighed, _still…_he knew he was to blame so he was glad that the person next to him was Ginny, not one of the holy obnoxious three and that she was on drugs. It made things easier for him, easier to enjoy his trip.

Moving his eyes to look at her again, he saw that the sunlight had reached their beds and was bouncing off her hair in a pretty way.

The golden undertones in her hair seemed to sparkle with the combined effect of the light and the drugs and Draco was enchanted. He had never thought that the girl was ugly, unlike the rest of her family.

_Hmm…_thought Draco, shrewdly. _You'd think that the family would have gotten it right. Figures that they waited until the last of their seven billion children to make a good one._

Draco didn't even find her freckles unappealing, it was only a light dusting anyway, nothing that noticeable and _hey, I'm pale too so I can't complain there._

He continued studying her, noticing the curve of her pouted lips and the faint blush on her cheeks that were already swelling in a cute way. He knew later they both would look like chipmunks.

She stirred, returning to consciousness slowly from her nap, but Draco didn't notice. He was smiling at the way the light was kissing her long eyelashes.

"You're pretty," he said out loud, loud enough for the waking Ginny to hear.

Even drugged up, they both knew what he had said.

"_What_ did you say?" snarled Ginny.

_Oh my god._ Draco gulped.


	3. Chapter 3

**Wo0t! another update!!!!**

***few* writing three fan fics is killing me, and as you can see, i have yet to update only ashes...it only has one chapter.**

**oh well**

**jk rowling is the bomb for owning things i don't. but i still want to kick her in the shins sometimes...  
**

* * *

Ginny was staring at her bed mate in shock. _Please let it be the drugs,_ she thought desperately. _He didn't really just say that._

But it was looking like he had, judging from the way his face was contorted with a shocked and embarrassed look.

"Um," Ginny broke the awkward silence. "I'm sorry…_what?_ Did you just say I was pretty?" The drugs wanted her to laugh but some part of her, some sane sober part, told her that this was the farthest thing from funny right now.

She watched Draco's head shake, slowly at first, then faster, ending on a superior looking trademark sneer. How he managed that look under the influence, Ginny had no idea.

"What, weasel? I didn't say anything." But he was staring at her, eyes still cloudy with the medicine.

"Yes you did," Ginny insisted thickly. The initial shock of hearing him call her pretty was wearing off and so was their sobering effect.

What he said next surprised her even more. "Yeah, well, so what if I did?" He turned his head away to stick his nose up in the air."

"So what if you did?" Ginny repeated, trying to gather her wits about her enough to become insulted. But she was too tired for that. "I dunno," she finally let out. "It's just really weird of you to be nice to me."

"And?!" Draco demanded, his drugs clearly wearing off faster than hers. "This whole _thing_ is weird! First us getting the surgery together and now us with our beds together talking to each other without yelling, _agreeing _that we're too lazy to be mean…"

"Hey," Ginny interrupted. "You were the one that moved the bed."

Draco continued. "Really weird." He scoffed. "Of course it's really weird. Why are you even talking to me after what happened this past spring?"

Ginny frowned and then her eyes lit with realization. "That's right!" She shouted. "That's right! You killed Al-"

But Draco had wrestled himself over her body, clamping a large hand over her mouth. "No I didn't." He hissed. "I never went through with it.

Ginny whimpered. Her mouth was throbbing and tears of pain were pricking at her eyes.

Draco noticed this and let go, looking shocked at himself as he scooted over to the far end of his bed. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I'm sorry, I-I forgot."

Ginny just ignored him and turned to face the other way.

* * *

Draco was in shock. Complete shock. Mostly about hurting her, which was enough cause for bewilderment as any, but also because of something else.

Some tiny part of his mind had liked the feeling of her body underneath his.

_Well not _her_ exclusively, _he hurriedly rectified. _Just of a girl's body. It has been a while…NO!_

He interrupted himself in horror. _No, I cannot be thinking about that-that _slut _in this way. I'm just horny that's all._ But why, why of all people, of all _girls _had it been _her _that had made him think about…

No he wouldn't. It was just sick. And it was the drugs.

_Yes, _he told him self, comfortingly. _It had to be. Just the drugs…_

It had been a while for Draco, though, and he knew it. Even most of the Slytherin girls weren't up to shagging a fully blown, recently _failed_, Death Eater.

And Pansy…Draco sighed. Pansy was so clingy that he hadn't thought that she would have left him alone for a whole summer, but that's what you get when you live near a member of the Irish Quidditch team. Draco knew she'd be back though.

And then there was the matter of having the Dark Lord and his followers literally take over the Manor, virtually blocking Draco's every attempt, real or imagined, at getting laid.

So yes, it had been a while.

But that still wasn't an excuse. Not a complete excuse anyway, and neither were the drugs.

Not wanting to think about this further, Draco sighed and almost turned his back towards Ginny when he heard her mutter something.

"Do you…" She paused, and seemed to be gathering strength. "Do you really think I'm pretty?"

Draco blanched. Why was she asking him this? He wondered if it was to embarrass him further as he considered his answer.

Too tired and high to care, Draco decided on the truth.

"Well, yeah," He said, trying to sound nonchalant. "But whatever, I mean, it doesn't mean anything."

"You said mean twice," Ginny pointed out, rather annoyingly Draco thought.

"So?" Draco snapped, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Nothing, it _means _nothing," Ginny said, poking fun at her bed fellow.

"Ha ha," Draco said dryly.

They were silent for a moment, wrapped up in their own slow-moving thoughts until Ginny broke the silence again.

"So why did you do it?" Her voice was quiet, tentative.

"Do what?" Draco asked, confused. "Call you pretty?"

"No, not that. Why did you try and kill…him? What had he ever done to you?" Ginny had turned her body around to look at Draco whose eyes were foggy with memory and his brows were knit together in a frown.

"I don't know," Draco said, hoping to dissuade the girl.

But Ginny was stubborn. "Yes you do. You can't be driven to murder without some motivation. Come on, tell me."

Draco pouted. "I don't want to tell you, weasel. And I don't have to."

Ginny sighed and turned away again. Her curiosity ran deep but she wanted him to tell her thinking it was his own idea.

She waited until she heard him draw breath, and smirked.

"I-I didn't _want_ to kill him, that's why I couldn't do it in the end, but the Dark Lord, he…" Draco had rushed through the first part, but now he slowed, unsure of what to say.

"He was going to hurt her," he rasped out, ending in a whisper. "He still has her on a short leash; he has _all _of us on a short leash. He's practically taken over the Manor and-why do you want to know all of this?" Draco asked suddenly suspicious. "You're just going to tell your dad or something, aren't you?"

Ginny was startled. "No, I won't," she sounded genuine enough to Draco, but his eyes still narrowed. "Not if you don't want me to."

Draco snorted a laugh. "Yeah, I definitely don't want you to tell anyone."

They were quiet again, until Ginny spoke up. "So is the 'she' you were talking about your mum?"

Draco nodded.

"And the other guy…" Ginny didn't have to finish her statement.

Draco paled a bit which was saying something, and nodded again.

"Huh," was all she said. "That's an interesting side of the story."

Draco broke out of silence. "It's the _truth!_" he snarled.

"Well that's not what everyone else at school thinks," Ginny said, mildly business like. "I bet they all hate you, I know for a fact all the Gryffindors do." She clapped her hands to her mouth, albeit gently. "And the teachers! What will _they _do to you?"

Draco grimaced. "Like I hadn't thought of that thank you very much for reminding me."

"I'm sorry," Ginny said, looking at a morose Malfoy. "But fact's fact. Are you prepared for what it's going to be like for you this year? It's gonna suck." Ginny finished with a giggle, but silenced at a look from Draco.

"I _know,_" he sighed. "_Believe _me, I know."

They lapsed into silence, staring at anything but each other.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better _I _won't hate you," Ginny stammered to clarify. "Because you, uh, told me y-your part of the story and all…"

Draco was lost in his own world of thought. "Thanks," he murmured.

Ginny sat up a little straighter in her bed, with something of a daring spark in her eye. "And," she said with a grin. "I think your not so bad looking yourself, even for a ferret."

Draco's jaw dropped as far as the swollen bone would allow, which wasn't very far at all. "What?" he managed to strangle out.

"What yourself," Ginny replied, brain catching up with her mouth, she realized what she'd said. "You said it to me, and I wanted to lighten the mood a little, you looked so depressed sitting there and all…"

She was so flustered in trying to explain herself, Draco couldn't help it. He burst out laughing, earning groans from the surrounding beds. Ignoring them he chuckled: "I'm glad we got our hotness factor straightened out between us."

Ginny giggled as well.

"I thought I told you both to _be quiet!"_ The medi-wizard had finally made it back and he was approaching Draco and Ginny with an angry look in his eye.

"Sorry!" They chimed together, stifling laughter.

As the medi-wizard left them, they caught each other's eye and lapsed into poorly muffled giggles.

They relaxed out of their hysterics and began to drift off to sleep. The two were feeling content on the last of the drugs and with having confided in each other, although they didn't know that feeling of contentment would most likely change when they woke up the next morning, puffy and irritable with pain.


	4. Chapter 4

**Back by popular demand!!**

**lol by one person really thanks to The Elegant Egotist, I have updated!!!!**

**go me**

**jk rowling owns it all  
**

* * *

Draco woke up first. And was the first to feel pain wash over him, originating at his mouth.

"Bloody fucking hell!" He managed to mumble out from between his swollen jaw.

His curse made someone stir behind him and he looked down, startled to see Ginny Weasley's sleeping form right next to him.

_Why the hell are our beds right next to each other?_ Draco sneered down at the girl like it was her fault for the pain.

_Pain in my arse, _Draco thought, amused with his wit in spite of himself and his situation.

"Oi! Weasley! Wake up!" Draco yelled down at the girl, causing her to open her eyes.

She blinked and sat up, looking confused before moaning and clasping her hands to her mouth.

"I know," Draco said, trying to sound wise and superior. "Hurts doesn't it?"

Ginny nodded before looking over at him, eyes widening as she recognized his face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, voice muffled by pain.

"Don't you remember?" Draco answered, bored with her already. "We had the same surgery date? And they had to put us in recovery together because of space issues?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Well _yeah,_ I remember that, but what the hell are you doing in the bed _right next to mine?"_

Draco swallowed, which took some effort, and frowned, searching his memory. "I-uh-I don't know. The last thing I remember was seeing your ugly shocked face when they apperated me into the operating room, and then nothing."

Ginny, crossed her arms, annoyed. "Like you look so great yourself. You even look like a little ferret now, all puffed up and stupid looking."

Draco hurriedly touched his face, turning away from Ginny to hide his vanity.

_They _are _puffy, _he sighed to himself. _But so are hers…wait._

Draco studied her for a moment and discovered that her mouth wasn't at all swollen. Well, maybe a little bit around her bottom jaw but not nearly as much as his.

"Hey!" Draco cried, indignant. "Why don't you look…all messed up?"

He watched, jealousy flooding his veins, as Ginny's hands gently prodded her skin. "I dunno," she said at last, sounding confused. "Maybe my surgery was different." She turned back to him, laughter in her eyes. "You would!" was all she could say, trying to keep her composure.

"I would what, weasel?" Draco spat.

"You would go into surgery and come out with the short straw!" Ginny was giggling now, pissing Draco off. "I mean," the girl continued between breaths of laughter. "You totally deserve it!"

Draco stared at the girl, mouth as far open as the overworked joints would allow, in desperate confusion.

"I deserve it?" Draco tried to understand, grasping wildly at the words she had used. "Short straw? What the hell are you talking about?"

Ginny wiped her eyes. "Nothing, nothing." She smiled at him, a smile that was more like a smirk that slapped at Draco's ego.

"You little bitch," he said, delighting for a moment in the widening of her eyes and the sobering effect of his words on her laughter. "No one asked you, you fucking little blood traitor, don't you ever talk that way to your betters!"

Feeling like he had the upper hand, Draco saw with contentment that her mouth hung open, like his had done moments before, although the effect was damped by the fact that neither one could open their mouths very far.

To Draco's surprise, Ginny recovered quickly. "Oh, fuck off, Malfoy. You're the damn traitor you sodding idiot. Can't you get that through your thick pasty skull? Who are you the better of? Me? Fine, I really don't give a damn, but I just wonder if people at school will. Hmm? What do you think they'll say? And the teachers…Oh no, Malfoy, it's you who's beneath all of us."

_Her brothers must have toughened her skin up, _Draco thought, allowing time for his pride to recover. _How unladylike._

"Whatever, weasel. Your opinions don't matter in this world anymore." And with that, Draco turned his back on her.

But something she said… _'I just wonder if people at school will. And the teachers…'_ Her words reminded him of something.

_Déjà vu? _Draco thought. _It couldn't be, we _don't _hand out._

But that feeling, he had a feeling that she had said something like that to him before… Squinting his eyes, he tried to remember, but the memory was blocked by something, a fog that had settled in Draco's mind.

_The drugs! _He thought at once. _Of course! We must have talked yesterday when we were all doped up. In fact…_ It dawned on him. _I think I _do _remember some of yesterday…_

Excited and ignoring the conversation that had just happened, Draco turned around and asked Ginny in a breathless voice; "Did we talk yesterday?"

He waited, looking expectantly at Ginny.

"I mean, were we awake? I can't seem to remember."

The girl just looked at him, but then, something clicked deep within her eyes. "Yeah…" she said slowly. "I think I remember…" she gasped, and then looked at him with a strange expression.

"What?" Draco forgot that he hated her for a second and focused entirely on the girl. "What? Do you remember?"

Wide-eyed, Ginny just shook her head.

* * *

But she did remember. Every detail of it. The timing was all wonky in her head, but the jist…

_Oh Merlin, _Ginny moaned inwardly. _Why did I say those things?_

She remembered that she had called him good looking and cringed. She remembered that she had told him that his insults hurt her and almost vomited over the side of her bed. She remembered the feeling of his body on top of hers, and how it felt so-_NO!_ Ginny cut her thoughts off. _That isn't possible. It was the drugs, just the drugs…_

The pair sat in silence for the rest of the day, ignoring each other to the best of their abilities while still in side-by-side beds.

Towards supper time, the orderlies came and separated their beds back to their original positions in preparation for the hospitals visiting hours.

Soon the large room accommodated a handful of scared-looking families of the people in the beds. Ginny was pleased when her mother showed up, her father following close behind.

"Ginevra, sweetie!" her mother squealed, descending upon her daughter. "Oh, I was so _worried!_" Ginny suffered through a hug, peering over her mother's shoulder to see her dad smiled understandingly and roll his eyes. Ginny grinned at him.

"Thanks mum, but I'm okay. See? Hardly any swelling." Ginny prodded her cheeks in proof.

At that remark, Ginny heard someone grumble next to her and turned to see Draco, looking puffy as ever, with no visitors.

Satisfied, Ginny asked her father loudly; "So dad, how's everything at home?"

"Good, good," Mr. Weasley replied, his tone light as he looked around the room, as nervous as its other occupants. "Nothing to report."

"Right," Ginny sighed. What did she think? That he could tell her what was really happening in so public a place? Not likely.

She turned her attention back to what her mother was saying, and really wished she hadn't.

"Well, that healer did a _wonderful _job to your mouth, didn't he Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley was gushing. "Ginny, you look great. And you're right, hardly any swelling! That's great, dear. Listen," her mother lowered her voice, but Ginny knew that if people really wanted to, they could still hear her. "I know you don't think you're pretty and you thought this surgery would fix that, but really dear, they're just _teeth,_ that's all. Still, you were beautiful before and now maybe you'll believe me now, but teeth, honestly Ginny, the things you will resort to…"

Blushing, Ginny could feel Draco's eyes on her and she was determined not to make eye contact.

"Right, mum, thanks." Ginny wanted to die.

Her father cleared his throat, saving his daughter from further embarrassment. "Molly, dear, we _really _should be leaving, the times and all…"

"Yes, yes, alright then," Mrs. Wesley stood up and bustled around Ginny for a few moments, fixing her sheets and smoothing her hair before leaving a kiss on her forehead and promising to be back to collect her the next morning as she was led out the door by her husband.

After they left, Ginny stared at her feet, still blushing, and still aware of his eyes on her face.

She heard a dark chuckle and turned, fiercely and ready to defend herself.

"_Charming _woman, your mum," Draco drawled, looking at his fingers.

"_Don't _you have a go at my mum, Malfoy," Ginny spat, hands curling into fists.

"I'll have a go at whoever I want, especially fat blood traitors like your mum."

Ginny was furious, her vision was blurred by hot tears she refused to shed. "I see your parents didn't even bother to show up. Where were they Malfoy? To ashamed of their standing in society these days to make a public appearance?"

It was Draco's turn to ball his hands. "Shut up."

"Oh I see," Ginny said, satisfied to see his cheeks get pink. "You can dish it, but you can't take it is that it? You cowardly little ferret."

"I said SHUT UP!" Draco leapt out of his bed too his feet and swayed there, clearly dizzy but incredibly angry.

_Woah, _Ginny thought, mildly pleased with herself but a little worried. _I don't think I've ever seen him this angry before. Maybe when he's talking to Harry but still…_

She watched as Draco fought to stay vertical and she smirked. "Maybe you should lay down, Malfoy, you look a little green."

"What's the matter, weasel?" Draco wheezed out, turning from green to whiter than normal. "Scared of what I'll do to you?"

Ginny almost laughed. "Not at the moment, you look too weak to do anything."

"Says who?" He asked, clutching the bed post for support. He began to walk towards her bed, placing one foot laboriously in front of the other, like a zombie with chipmunk cheeks. It would have been hilarious save for the dark malice in his eyes.

"Seriously, Malfoy, take it easy," Ginny scooted herself higher on the pillows, sitting up straighter.

"You…_are _scared," Draco said with something that sounded vaguely like a chuckle, but it was disguised by a cough. He was closer now, and his hand reached out to use her bed post as a crutch.

He collapsed onto it, his body sagging, but his face close to hers. Draco's rank breath blew hot across her face. "Don't think I am anything but what I am, weasel." He heaved a deep breath. "Because I could easily hurt you if I wanted."

Ginny's eyes were wide and she thought rapidly of how to get out of this situation. She was saved from having to make a decision by Draco hiccupping into nausea, heaving his stomach onto the floor next to Ginny's bed.

His belly empty, Draco raised his head back level with Ginny's. "Weasley, I don't feel-"

Draco vomited again, this time in blood. "Help," was all he could call out weakly before fainting onto the floor, head smacking hard against the metal frame of Ginny's bed on the way down.

* * *

**p.s. draco isn't a pansy, although we all know what a delicate flower he really is, but there is something really wrong with him that is making him sick so don't worry.**

**review!!!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Dedicated to The E. E. because she likes my story**

**hahaha**

**oh and also to clarinetguardgeek07**

**jk rowling owns it all  
**

* * *

Astonished, Ginny held herself still for a moment before calling out to a healer for help.

A pair of medi-witches came running, and Ginny watched as they help Draco back onto his bed.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Ginny asked. "We had the same surgery…Will I have those symptoms?"

But no one would answer her.

All Ginny could do was watch as they cleaned up the vomit and blood off the floor, and heal Draco's head wound. He still looked green, even when they were supposedly helping him get better.

Ginny frowned when no one came back to check on him later that night.

_He was vomiting _blood_ for Merlin's sake!_

Ginny was indignant. She had always liked the healers at St. Mungo's and was even thinking about looking into a possible job there after Hogwarts. It was the least she could do for the war effort, and since she had little interest in becoming an Auror, being a medi-witch at St. Mungo's seemed like a good option.

The red-head was still fuming when ten o'clock rolled around and by ten thirty, she was getting worried.

She felt fine. Besides the pain which was being dampened by pain charms, Ginny didn't feel nauseous at all, let alone ill enough to start throwing up blood.

_His cheeks…_Ginny remembered. _They were puffier than mine._

Just in knowing that Ginny decided to leap to the conclusion that their surgeries were different.

_Okay, but why?_ Ginny was intrigued by the puzzle that presented itself before her but she was distracted from solving the mystery by Draco stirring in his bed.

"Malfoy?" Ginny called out cautiously.

He only grunted in reply.

"Malfoy!" Ginny said again, louder and sharper. Her melodramatic side took over. _I wonder if he's dying._

_Oh get a grip Ginny._

The girl hauled her self out of bed, going slow in case she felt the dizzying effects of the surgery that Draco seemed to have.

When she made sure her head wasn't going to start swimming, she crossed over to Draco's bed easily, although her jaw ached with the vibrations of every step.

He was lying there; his eyes were glassy with his mouth partly open. Ginny's head was pounding from her abrupt crossing so she sat down.

_At least I'm not dizzy, _Ginny reassured herself.

She frowned, hearing a catch in Draco's breathing. Bending forward, Ginny put her ear close to his mouth.

His breath came in short gasps, like he was having trouble breathing. Sitting back, Ginny was startled.

"Malfoy, I-I think there's something caught in your throat, I'm going to stick my finger in your mouth to find out what. So _don't _bite me."

Taking a deep breath, Ginny gently dipped a thin finger into Draco's mouth and wiped to clear his air way.

Her finger came out of his mouth dark with blood.

"Shit," Ginny swore under her breath.

She got up abruptly and made her way over to the door to the large room. Opening the door, Ginny spied a healer a short way down the hall.

"Hey!" Ginny yelled, getting the attention of the wizard. "Hey! I need some help over here!" The man came running.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, it's not me, it's a boy in there," Ginny pointed into the room, leading the healer to Draco's bedside. "I think his lungs are filling up with blood or something, I don't really know."

Ginny watched, interested but concerned, as the healer examined Draco.

"Wait," the healer straightened up. "Is this Draco Malfoy? Wisdom teeth surgery?"

"Yes…" Ginny said, frowning.

The healer laughed, startling Ginny. "And you wanted me to save him! Ha!" Ginny just stared at the man.

"What?" She could barely form the word through her confusion.

"It's Draco _Malfoy,_" the healer emphasized. "Mal-foy. He entered into the hospital under a false name, but we figured it out eventually. We botched his surgery on purpose. He's going to die."

Now Ginny's head felt fuzzy. "Why would you do something like that? Y-you're healers, you're supposed to heal him!"

"Not this one, not his boy." The wizard turned on his heals and left.

Ginny stood there for a moment shocked before turning on her brain again. Thinking hard, Ginny changed into her street clothes and went back to Draco's bed.

Putting his arm around her shoulders, Ginny hauled Draco out of his bed.

"Come on, you fatty," Ginny groaned under his weight. "We got to get you somewhere safe."

Thinking for a brief moment, Ginny made a decision. Charming Draco to be feather-light, she summoned her broom from the shed at the Burrow, and waited patiently by the window for its arrival.

Seeing it coming, Ginny leaned the now unconscious Draco against the window sill and opened the heavy frame, filling her lungs with the cool night air.

Mounting the broom still inside the building, Ginny hovered close to the ground to haul Draco onto the stick in front of her.

"I swear to Merlin if you barf on me…" Ginny threatened the boy whose only response was his unsupported head flopping back onto Ginny's left shoulder. "Great, I'm a head rest now."

Kicking off purposefully, Ginny ascended into the London night, arms clasped tight around Draco's waist.

Gaining altitude, Ginny hesitated in turning her broom towards the Burrow. She had originally planned on going there but now…

_Too risky, _she decided. _Besides, mum will have heard my broom leaving and she will see the clock showing I'm traveling and then at school. She'll know where to find me._

And with that, Ginny set off in the direction of Hogwarts.

* * *

Madame Pomfrey was dreaming about how much she hated her first name, when she was roused by a scratching at the window.

Grumbling, she lit the lamp by her bedside and got out of bed.

Exiting her private chambers, Madame Pomfrey discovered the source of the noise much to her great surprise.

The Weasley girl and Draco Malfoy were outside one of the large bay windows of the hospital wing, on a broomstick no less.

Through her astonishment, the witch noticed that the boy looked ill and reacting to her second nature as a healer, she opened the window to let the pair in.

Ginny tumbled off her broom, depositing Draco on the nearest bed before collapsing herself.

"Please, Madame Pomfrey," was all she could say through her chattering teeth and exhaustion. "Please help him. I didn't know where else to go."

Madame Pomfrey helped the girl up to sit her down on the next bed over. "Well, tell me what happened with Mr. Malfoy. Then we will see about how you got here."

Ginny, wrapping herself in the blankets of the bed to warm up, related to Madame Pomfrey what happened with Draco and the healers back at St. Mungo's.

"And they wouldn't even help him," Ginny finished her tale. "_Healers _not helping anybody! I didn't know what to do so I came here."

"You were right to do that," agreed Madame Pomfrey. "If you're feeling well enough, I would have you run down to alert Professor McGonagall. I need some time alone with the boy."

Ginny nodded solemnly and took off running through the castle. The adrenaline and the numbing effects of the cold was starting to wear off and as Ginny pounded down the steps of the school, her mouth pounded with pain.

Ignoring it, Ginny found McGonagall's office door and banged on it until she was sure that she could be heard into her private chambers.

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing here?" Minerva McGonagall asked the disheveled looking Ginny when she appeared at the door.

"Please, Professor," Ginny said breathlessly. "There is an emergency in the hospital wing and Madame Pomfrey sent me to find you."

"Good heavens," McGonagall stated, but she wrapped her shawl tighter around her shoulders and followed the red-head back to the hospital wing.

Ginny ran up the last flight of stairs, entering the wing before McGonagall. Panting she hovered at the foot of Draco's bed, watching Madame Pomfrey spoon a small amount of liquid into his mouth.

"Poppy! What-" McGonagall exclaimed, finally reaching Draco's bed and standing next to Ginny. "Why that's…Draco Malfoy…Ginevra…" McGonagall was at a loss. "What _are _you doing here?"

Ginny didn't want to explain, but did so, lacking the rush in getting her story across this time.

"Wouldn't heal him? A botched surgery? Outrageous! St. Mungo's would never allow this to happen."

"Think about it, Minerva," Madame Pomfrey said for the first time since Ginny and McGonagall's arrival. "Think about who it is, and what he's done. It's no wonder they did it. I'm not condoning their actions but it's no wonder."

"Well," huffed McGonagall. "I never."

The doors to the hospital wing banged open. "And _I _never expected an injury from my house to go unreported, be it the summer holidays or not." Severus Snape entered the wing and all three women froze in surprised anger.

"Severus," McGonagall nodded curtly, recovering first.

"What has happened?" Snape asked, approaching the bed and ignoring McGonagall's greeting.

Madame Pomfrey looked at Ginny and Snape followed her gaze. "What are-"

Interrupting her professor and not caring, Ginny related the night's events for the third time in a deadpan voice.

"And that's what happened? That's the truth?" Snape asked coldly, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes," Ginny intoned, eyes starting to close, but still focused on Draco.

"Very well," Snape said, straightening. "In the future, I will have you know, Poppy and Minerva, that I will like _all_ instances having to do with both my students and my house related _directly_ to me. As headmaster of Hogwarts I-"

"Headmaster!" Ginny shrieked.

All three of the adults turned to look at her.

"Oh Merlin," she exclaimed before fainting back onto the bed.

* * *

The next time Ginny opened her eyes, sunlight flooded her vision, blinding her briefly.

"Oh Ginny!" Something heavy and wet fell upon her as Ginny struggled to comprehend.

It was her mother. And she had been crying.

"I was so worried about you when I saw the clock and oh! You stupid girl!" Mrs. Weasley abruptly changed tone of voice. "What on earth were you thinking leaving the hospital like that? You could have been _killed!"_

"Am I dead, mum?" Ginny asked.

"Well no…"

"There, you see? Everything's fine."

"Don't get smart with me, Ginevra. I can kept you at home this year if I wanted, and don't think I won't!" Mrs. Weasley looked dangerous.

"Alright, I'm sorry, but I was…" Ginny sat up and looked at the bed next to her. The curtains were drawn, blocking her view of Draco, but she still craned her neck as if the hanging fabric were to part at any moment.

"Is he alright?" Ginny asked with bated breath.

Mrs. Weasley lowered her voice. "He's not going to die, but we can't be sure yet what kind of permanent damage there will be…"

"Damage!" Ginny cried. "I didn't save him in time?!"

Her mother looked at her funny. "Ginny, this is a Malfoy we're talking about here. Who cares? One less Death Eater on our-"

"He doesn't believe in that stuff anymore, mum." Ginny said softly, interrupting her mother.

"I-what?" Mrs. Weasley looked down at her daughter.

"I said, it's not like that. You don't know anything. And besides, are we really going to stoop to that level and not help another human being just because of what his last name is? Mum, I thought that you were a good-guy."

Mrs. Weasley was at a loss. "I-I am the good-guy, Ginny, what's gotten into you?"

Ginny turned her head away. "Nothing."

"Well, _Headmaster_ Snape has given me permission to take you home so up you get!" Mrs. Weasley sounded terse. "No time to waste, we've got a wedding to plan, you know."

Ginny reluctantly got out of bed, all the while looking at the curtains surrounding Draco.

_Merlin, I hope I didn't do all that for nothing._

Now Ginny was pissed at herself. How stupid she must have looked _flying _from London to Hogwarts to save Malfoy.

"Who am I?" She grumbled to herself. "His best friend?"

But as they were exiting the Hospital wing, Ginny felt a pang in her chest and hoped against hope that he would live.

_I tried to save someone and couldn't._

She felt her mother's arms around her shoulders as they exited the castle.

Ginny looked down at her feet.

_So what good am I?_

_

* * *

_**God, Ginny, get over yourself.**

**yay emo-ness!!!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**yay! I'm on vacation in the hamptons but I still get to update!!**

**woot**

**jk owns everything  
**

* * *

Draco coughed himself awake.

Spluttering, he sat up and noticed the white sheets hanging round his bed. Sheets that reminded him of what they put over dead bodies. He pulled a face and shivered.

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy," Madame Pomfrey started Draco, pulling back the hangings and looking down at him, almost cautiously, like he was going to explode. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," Draco croaked. "And I can't feel my mouth."

"Good, good."

_That wasn't the answer to my question, you dumb witch._

"What happened to me? The last thing I remember was in St. Mungo's…" he trailed off, not able to find the words, but looking expectantly up at Madame Pomfrey.

The witch looked curiously at him, as if measuring his question and sighed. "Mr. Malfoy, you must want to know what has happened to you…"

Draco narrowed his eyes.

"Y-you were poisoned, Mr. Malfoy. I'm so sorry to say it, but the healers at St. Mungo's must have found out who you really were and decided to take it upon themselves to…" But Madame Pomfrey couldn't finish.

Draco was shocked, but he recovered quickly. This was expected. The hatred was expected, right?

_That explains why they knew my name before my surgery, _he thought, embarrassed that he hadn't noticed it before. _But neither did mum, so…_

"Anything else?" Draco looked at her. Madame Pomfrey looked like she wanted to run in the other direction. "What?" Draco demanded, suddenly panicked.

"Mr. Malfoy, I-I'm sorry, but I can't understand what you're saying." Madame Pomfrey looked desperate to leave his bedside.

"What?" Draco was incredulous. "What the hell do you mean? I've been speaking English!"

Madame Pomfrey just shook her head sadly. "We're not sure if it's permanent," she whispered, as if saying it louder would be worse. "But your brain was severely damaged by the healers at St. Mungo's…"

_Who I will _kill _if I ever get my hands on them._ Draco thought angrily, but he quickly refocused on what Madame Pomfrey was saying.

"A-all we know is that t-the part of your brain used in speaking has been s-severely damaged, and the surrounding areas have also been a-affected, but to what extent we don't yet know." Madame Pomfrey had given up doing the Nervous Shuffle and had taken to staring directly at her hands. "We are quite confident that you can understand us, and we _think_ that you can still form words in your mind but you are simply incapable of saying them out loud. Now there are several tests we need to conduct and of course speech therapy…"

Draco's had stopped listening, and Madame Pomfrey noticed.

Madame Pomfrey fluffed his pillows to support him sitting up in bed. "If you're wondering how you got here, that lovely Weasley girl flew you here on a broomstick. Which is no small feat, may I tell you. It took a great deal of bravery and heart to do what she did. Almost froze to death, the poor girl, trying to get you to safety. You must be very good friends…"

Draco turned his head away. "We're not," he whispered, even though he knew she couldn't understand him.

* * *

Ginny was helping her mother set the table for the wedding, but she was doing a very poor job of it.

Sitting at one of the tables, the red-head was twirling a fork in her hands and staring off into space.

It had been three weeks since her escape from St. Mungo's with Draco, and still no one had bothered to tell her how he was. She knew he was alive, but that wasn't enough for the girl.

She had kidnapped Pigwidgeon, Ron's stupid owl, to try and send a letter but he was sent back with no reply.

She had even tried sending her Patronus, but it too had apparently fallen on deaf ears.

Annoyed, Ginny had thrown herself into the wedding preparations, but had quickly grown tired of this pursuit, which she attributed to the constant presence of Phlem hanging about.

Grinning, the girl thought of how Ron, Harry and Hermione had laughed at her nick name and had quickly picked it up.

_Viva la Revolution! _Ginny thought, poking holes in the table cloth with her fork.

"Ginevra!" a shriek sounded from behind the girl, making her jump. "Stop that vandalism at once!"

Her mother stalked into view, carrying an armful of vegetables. "I leave you to do a simple task of setting the table and you can't even do that! What on earth are you _good_ for around here? Day dreaming? I don't think so!"

Ginny had frozen at her mother's words.

_She didn't mean it, _Ginny tried to soothe herself. _She didn't really mean it_.

"Come on, girl, let's get these chopped," Mrs. Weasley indicated to the vegetables in her arms. "We don't have all day." And with that, she bustled into the house.

Giving her mother a rather rude hand gesture, Ginny followed.

"Little sister," Ron greeted her and he, Harry and Hermione pounded down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Won-won," Ginny said back, glad to see him blush. Chopping vegetables was boring.

Harry came to stand next to her, pretending like he was interested in what she was doing.

"Hey, Ginny," he said, gently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "How you been?"

"Fine, thanks," Ginny said tersely. She wasn't in the mood for this, not now. After she had told him how she really felt, after Dumble-_his _funeral, Harry had been pining away for her.

Ginny sighed as she went outside with a now bickering Ron and Hermione. She _had _liked him at one point, but that's all it was: a point in time now long past. And he didn't seem to get that.

_Well, it's a good thing he's going away on his stupid mission, _Ginny thought, dumping carrots into a boiling pot. Although she did feel a pang, she didn't like how he or even _any _of them were to be in extreme danger soon.

_But then again, _Ginny grimaced as her mother pointed to potatoes. _We're _all _in danger._ And with a glance to the clock which confirmed her thoughts, Ginny set to work peeling potatoes.

The wedding was uneventful for Ginny until Kingsley's Patronus arrived. At first, Ginny had stupidly thought it was hers, returning from Hogwarts, before she realized that it wasn't a horse.

The panic that erupted at the Burrow after Kingsley's announcement wiped all thoughts of Draco Malfoy from her mind as she tried to help prepare for a Death Eater attack.

Someone, Fred, Ginny found out later, pushed her into the house, out of harm's way. Ginny kicked and screamed but the members of the Order wouldn't let her come out. It was pointless of course, she knew she had little to offer against fully armed Death Eaters, but still, she had wanted to fight just because it was something to _do._

Her wish was granted sooner than she thought; the Burrow was quickly surrounded and the Death Eaters were rounding everyone up for questioning.

Ginny was found and brought back into the yard to stand in a line with everyone else.

Shaking, but not wanting to seem afraid, Ginny found that she was wedged between her brother Charlie and some random woman she hadn't been introduced to.

Charlie and Ginny looked at each other, nodding slightly: a movement which gave the other some comfort. The witch that Ginny did not know standing next to her was trembling.

The Death Eaters stood in a loose ring around the wedding guests, while a squat-looking one prowled up and down the line, stopping here and there to question and sometimes torture random wedding guests.

"What do they want?" Ginny whispered to Charlie through the side of her mouth after about a hour had passed

"_Who _do you think?" Charlie emphasized and he and Ginny fell silent as the interrogator slowed in front of them.

Charlie put his arm around his sister as the Death Eater leaned forward, eyes bright behind his mask. "And you must be…" the man paused and reached out to finger a strand of Ginny's hair. "Ginevra." He finished in a silky voice and a giggle that made Ginny want to throw up. "_Just_ the little girl I wanted to see."

Ginny tried to lean away as the Death Eater placed a finger under her chin to examine her face. "Ah, ah, ah!" the man warned, sensing her motion and grabbing a fist full of her hair. "Not nice." Ginny could hear him leer at her from behind his mask before he whipped her to the ground.

"Harry Potter's _girlfriend!_" he announced. The Death Eaters laughed, coldly. One of them made kissing noises.

"Tell me," said the Death Eater who still had a firm hold on Ginny's hair. "Where did your true love go?"

Ginny heart was in her mouth, but this time she thanked Merlin profusely for being able to tell the truth, even if they did have veritaserum. "I don't know," she said, voice coming out higher than normal.

"Well _that's _something I wasn't expecting to hear," the evil wizard said sarcastically.

"It's the truth, I swear!" Ginny protested. "Give me veritaserum if you really want to know!"

The man leaned in close, his mask death white in the light of the fire. "Oh I forgot to bring some," he said in a singsong voice. "Fortunately I have other ways of making you sing, little phoenix."

He raised his wand. "_Crucio!"_

Ginny heard someone scream.

She felt as if her ribs were being pulled apart, one by one.

Each fingernail was slowly being dragged out of their nail beds.

A million toothpicks were being driven into her skin.

And then it stopped.

Panting and blind from pain, Ginny lay on the lawn. The stars in the sky above her winked as if teasing, for they could feel nothing.

A white mask peered down at her. "Time for me to leave, my little birdie," the Death Eater crooned. "But I expect that I will be seeing you _quite_ soon." The mask left her field of vision.

There were shouts and orders and cracks of disapperating Death Eaters, but Ginny heard none of it. Moss seemed to be stuffed in her ears and for the moment, her brain liked it.

But the sensation quickly left her as she felt something in her stomach turn. Strong hands turned her on her side so she could vomit into the grass without choking on it.

When she was finished, Ginny felt herself being lifted up into the arms of her father.

"Daddy…" she said, regressing.

"I've got you, Gin-bug," her childhood name quivering on his lips, betraying his true emotions.

Ginny wanted to cry, but she found that tears wouldn't come.

_Shock, I'm in shock._

Her father carried her up the stairs and into her bedroom and laid her down on her bed.

Sitting down next to her, Mr. Weasley bent down and covered Ginny's shoulders hugging her, his mouth in her hair.

"I," Mr. Weasley took a deep shuddering breath. "I am so sorry."

And that's all he said before kissing her forehead and leaving to go downstairs to meet with the Order.

Ginny heard the door shut quietly and her father's footsteps on the stairs.

Spreading out her hands, she looked at her nails. They looked blue in the last of the twilight but Ginny knew that blue nails mean a lack of oxygen.

_I wonder if I'm drowning._


	7. Chapter 7

**Yes! Another update.**

**I really need a beta. So I apologize for the horribleness of my writing.**

**Jk rowling owns it all  
**

* * *

Draco was really frustrated.

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Draco stared at the word-cards in front of him.

It had been three weeks. Three bloody weeks and he still hadn't made any improvement.

Well, not really.

He had 'achieved a great deal', in the words of Madame Pomfrey, but he felt that walking was overrated. And the only words that he was able to pronounce were 'Draco' and 'Malfoy' and a handful of other useless one syllable sounds.

To this, Madame Pompfrey had announced a spectacular leap in his recovery, but Draco thought it was bollocks.

He had secretly been working on 'pity' and 'sex' but so far the t and x sounds were proving difficult.

Gazing down at the cards showing him a picture of an apple and a bold black lettering of the corresponding word, Draco ground his teeth.

The simplicity and child-like qualities of the word-cards seemed to be mocking Draco, laughing at his poor excuse for recovery.

School was next week, for Merlin's sake! He _had_ to get better before then. He just _had _to.

"Ah-a-luh," Draco tried, sounding like, he thought, an idiot.

_Fuck it!_ Draco violently pushed the cards off his tray table, scattering them on the ground and listening to them flutter, scattering upon the wood like dead leaves.

His eyes almost filled with angry tears before he realized that Madame Pomfrey had heard his commotion and had come hurrying over.

Picking up the cards, she said; "You know, Mr. Malfoy, it may help for you to come up with a sentence, something you can latch on to, identify with. It will give you a goal, and a better sense of how you are progressing."

Draco sneered at her, folded his arms and looked away. _Like you know what I want._

Madame Pomfrey sighed, and placed the cards on the table. "Just trying to help you, Mr. Malfoy." She turned to leave but paused. "I may be the last one that will do that voluntarily." She then left and closed her office door, satisfied that she had given her charge something to think about.

Draco left his arms folded and his nose up in the air at the cards, before he started to chew on his lip, thinking.

_Maybe that would work…_ He thought. _School _is _in a week, and I'll try anything._

He thought.

And read the cards.

And thought some more.

Dinner rolled around, and for once, Draco was glad that he could feed himself now, at least Madame Pomfrey would leave him in peace to think about his damn sentence.

_How about…Want to fuck?_

_No, too direct._

_Move, you idiots._

_Probably not the best thing when everyone hates me. And now that I'm handicapped._

Draco spit out that last word in his head.

Then it hit him.

_Thank you._

_Thank you for saving my live, Weasley._

Yes, that was it. Perfect. Short, to the point and not mushy. And it wasn't going to embarrass him when he said it, he would be sure of that.

Draco found a piece of parchment, a quill, and wrote out the sentence in his loopy scrawl.

Looking down at the physical manifestation of his thought, he thought that it looked, and sounded, pretty good.

If only he could say it…

* * *

Ginny had successfully escaped her mother clinging to her in front of the entire school by boarding the Hogwarts Express early and telling her, firmly but affectionately that she was _fine,_ and hadn't she be getting back to the Burrow anyway?

Her mother had patted her cheek and had said that Ginny was right before bustling off to attend to Order matters.

Ginny sighed and leaned back into her seat. A year ago there would have been no way Molly Weasley would leave Platform 9 and 3/4th early.

But now…

On the train, Ginny walked up and down the isle looking for someone, before she set her things down as close to the front of the train as she could without being in the prefect and head compartments.

Ginny had been slightly put-off when she hadn't gotten a prefect badge the year before, but now she didn't even think about it.

Shortly after Ginny had settled in, Neville and Luna joined her in the compartment. Ginny said hello to them but they were already deep in an animated discussion about weather or not toast always landing on the buttered side was always a bad thing.

Neville seemed to be losing the argument, but Ginny noticed with a sly smile that he was too captivated with who he was arguing with to care.

Neville and Luna had barely sat down when the door slid open once more, revealing a tall, Spanish looking girl with vulmonus black curls.

Ginny nodded to her. "Hey, Nora." The girl was in Ginny's year and in Gryffindor but Ginny had never really interacted with her apart from hallway smiles.

"Ginny, Neville, …" The girl nodded to her fellow house-mates but trailed off looking at Luna.

"Lun-" Neville started to say when he was interrupted.

"Luna!" Nora said, smiling widely. Ginny realized that the girl's mouth looked a lot more comfortable in a smile. "Lovegood, right? I'm terrible at names. But it's all good. Can I sit in here? Apparently all my other friends now thing it's a problem to be at Hogwarts if your half or all muggle. Really I should have guessed. No mail this summer and all…"

Nora laughed and the sound was so infectious that Ginny found herself smiling along with something that wasn't even really funny to begin with.

"Sure, sit anywhere."

Nora sat, still beaming around the compartment.

"_Everyone_ left?" Ginny asked the girl in a lower voice once Neville and Luna resumed their argument.

"Yea, their parents yanked them. It's happening to lots of people, I just don't have very many friends to begin with so it has a bigger impact on me." Nora laughed again, startling Neville and Luna.

"What are you talking about?" Luna asked in her dreamy voice.

"Half-bloods and muggle borns not coming back to Hogwarts this year." Nora said, unwrapping gum and popping it in her mouth.

Luna nodded, wide eyes shining. "Yes I heard about that, a couple of people from Ravenclaw aren't coming back this year, but not a lot. Well, not yet anyway..." Luna trailed off mysteriously.

Neville looked alarmed. "What do you mean 'not yet'?"

"Well, I only expect that it will get worse so obviously 'not yet' fits."

Ginny and Nora looked at each other seriously for a moment, and then Nora smiled. "Well, all the hot guys better not leave."

Ginny giggled when Nora did, and the two girls then found themselves distracted with each other company until they were almost at Hogwarts.

Once the train was unloaded, Ginny, Luna, Neville, and Nora waited in the long line for the Thestral-drawn carriages.

Pretending like she forgot something on the train, Ginny hung back in line, searching the crowd.

_Maybe he arrived in a different way?_ Ginny thought, eyes scanning for a blonde head.

_Or maybe he's still in the hospital wing…_

"Ginny? Are you coming?" Nora's voice floated through Ginny's thoughts, bringing the red-head back to the present.

There was only one carriage left and Ginny hopped on.

"Who were you looking for?" Nora asked.

Ginny's head snapped up to meet the other girls dark eyes. "I wasn't looking for anyone," she said, a little too snipilly.

"Right," Nora said, sounding like she didn't believe her. "Sure. Sorry I asked."

Arriving in the Great Hall, Ginny sat down between Neville and Nora.

Day dreaming, Ginny's eyes wandered over to the teacher's table and with a jolt she saw Snape sitting in Dumbledore's old chair.

With a stab of anger, Ginny glared at the hooked nose teacher.

Her anger was so great that she couldn't form a rational thought.

She was interrupted from her mental spluttering with the arrival of the first years. Watching them gave Ginny something to think about, distracting her from her hate. She sat half-listening to the Sorting Hat's new song of warning, a faint smile playing on her lips.

McGonagall stepped up next to the stool and unfurled a scroll.

The first Slytherin to be sorted was "Freeman, Daniel."

When the hat called out the name of the house, Ginny's head jerked up from her daydream. Her eyes flicked over to the Slytherin table, searching up and down for a certain blonde haired boy.

Her search turned up nothing, nothing but a moping Pansy Parkinson, and a bored looking Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott.

The feast began and Ginny ate in silence, thinking hard. Nora chattered enough for the both of them and Ginny was content to just listen.

As the feast neared its end, Ginny started to feel antsy.

Turning to Nora, Ginny muttered; "I'm going to take off and go to the bathroom. I'd rather hid in the bathroom than listen to Snape do the start of term freast."

Nora choked into her pumpkin juice. "Ha, so true. Go ahead, I'll give you the highlights later."

Ginny snorted. "Please, don't." The red-head exited the Great Hall and ducked onto the staircase leading to the hospital wing.

* * *

In the hospital wing, Draco Malfoy stood mutely at the far end.

Staring out a large bay window, he was dressed in what he usually wore under his Hogwarts robes. Black slacks and his grey Hogwarts polo shirt.

Draco could hear the feast; the voices rumbling beneath him and felt annoyed. He had been working so hard for the past week that he thought for sure he would be well enough to attend the first feast.

But he wasn't.

He could communicate his needs with Madame Pompfrey and have a very short conversation where he could just say 'hello' and his name but that was it.

Draco's work on the sentence that he practiced in secret had surprised him. It was nearly intelligible.

_Alright, so not _nearly, he thought, looking out one of the windows. _But fairly good._

He had been practicing using his muscles as well, running up and down the length of the hospital wing when Madame Pomfrey wasn't looking. He also did sit ups and push ups whenever words frustrated him.

He kept these physical advancements from Madame Pomfrey for no reason other that to have a secret.

But the worst part about his recovery was that his voice sounded different to him. Lower, but with a strange rasp to the edges; it felt like someone else was using his mouth.

Raising his chin and massaging his throat, as if he could rub the words out, Draco heard a door behind him open and, thinking it was Madame Pomfrey, he kept staring out the window.

"If you're out of bed, why aren't you at the feast?" A voice Draco hadn't heard in a moth say.

Whirling around, Draco was face to face with the subject of his secret sentence.

"W-wuh-w-"

"It's Weasley, Malfoy. Did you forget?"

_Of course I remember you, you dumb-_ Draco sighed and looked back out the window. He didn't want to tell her, not yet, not until his sentence was perfect.

"Well," Ginny's voice came from behind Draco. "I just came to check-to see if you were still…alive."

He noticed that she changed mid-sentence but he didn't turn.

"Okay fine. See you around."

Ginny turned on her heel and left. Draco could hear her mutter under her breath. "You could at least say 'thanks'."

Draco smirked at her nerve.

I will, Weasley, I will.

* * *

**I'm sorry, I just _had_ to put Draco in a polo shirt**

***drools*  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**wow it's been forever...**

**Don't yell at me!!!**

**lol**

**jk owns it all  
**

* * *

"Wait a second. You're telling me that _Malfoy_ was in the Hospital Wing this whole summer?" Nora whispered to Ginny during Transfiguration a month after the start of term feast.

Ginny nodded, brow furrowed as she tried to concentrate on the conversation and turning her candle into a firefly at the same time.

"Yeah, ever since his surgery that is." Her flame spluttered and went out. Sighing, Ginny lit the candle again.

Nora had completely disregarded her candle and was looking at Ginny. "But why?"

Ginny bit her lip and grimaced as her candle now blinked on and off. _Should I tell her the whole story?_

It had been a month since the two girls officially met and started hanging out: Each tentatively testing the other for friendship before divulging into secret sharing. Ginny liked Nora well enough, even though she could be a bit much at times. Still, she was all Ginny had in her year. After all, Neville was a grade above her and Luna was in Ravenclaw so it made sense.

She opened her mouth. "Because he-"

"Weasley! Moreno! What are you two jabbering on about, hmm? Something you would like to share with the rest of the class?"

Nora wasn't the type of person who blushed, so Ginny did; enough for the both of them. "Sorry, Professor," Nora said, throwing a look at Ginny and transfiguring her candle poorly.

"Perhaps you two should study some more rather than talk, then maybe you would be able to transfigure better?" McGonagall looked at Nora's candle which had sprouted wings and was trying to fly and light things on fire.

"Right, thank you Professor, we'll keep that in mind." Nora sighed. To Ginny she whispered, as soon as McGonagall walked away; "I don't even _like _fireflies."

Ginny giggled. "Too bad."

Nora rolled her eyes and turned her concentration back to her winged candle. "Tell me the rest of the story later?" She asked Ginny out of the corner of her mouth.

"Um, sure," Ginny didn't look at her friend.

* * *

"So," Nora began after dinner. Ginny's heart sank. "Tell me what happened."

"You know," Ginny stated, flopping into an armchair in the common room and glaring at Nora. "You can be _really _annoying sometimes."

"I know," Nora smiled unapologetically. "So tell me."

Ginny nodded. "Fine, but you have to promise that you won't tell anyone. And don't just say 'okay I won't', really mean it."

"Okay I won't," Nora grinned devilishly.

Ginny narrowed her eyes.

"Alright, I mean it. Swear on Merlin's trousers I won't tell a soul."

Ginny looked at her, judging.

Finally, the red-head relented and told Nora the story of her wisdom teeth surgery and her flight to Hogwarts. Ginny was surprised at the sense of relief she found by telling someone other than a teacher and was glad that she had told Nora.

"Wow," Nora breathed after Ginny was finished. The brunette's eyes were round. "What a conspiracy! I never thought St. Mungo's…wow."

Ginny laughed, and lugged her schoolbag towards her. "So eloquent today, Moreno. Shall you expand for the benefit of the class?"

"Shove it," Nora growled, trying to cover a laugh. "So does this mean that we're going to win or something?"

Ginny's head jerked. "It doesn't mean anything. If you want it to mean something, it means that the good side has been reduced to a bunch of kid killers and that we're no better than…_them._"

"Or it means that we're winning," Nora said firmly.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Why don't we just do our homework, okay?"

Nora groaned as she opened her Potions book. "Fine, but you're not getting off that easy."

Ginny unrolled some parchment. "What do you mean?"

"You know…" Nora twisted her quill in her hands. "Get me in to _see _him."

"Why on earth would you want to do that?" Ginny had almost dropped the parchment out of shock.

Nora shrugged, but a fire burned deep behind her eyes. "It would be fun, that's all."

"There is nothing_ fun_ about another person's misery," snapped Ginny, slamming open her book.

Nora sat back, the fire dissipating and a calming smile taking its place. "Right, sorry I asked. Of course you're right. Now who's ready for Potions?!"

Ginny watched her new friend as the girl began to read and the sense of relief that the red-head had felt in telling her story before was slowly being replaced by a sense of dread.

* * *

At breakfast the next morning, all the students were met with an announcement from Snape. The imposing black robed figure stood up and called for silence at the beginning of the meal.

"Oh Merlin, what now?" Ginny heard Nora groan into her ear. She ignored it.

"As you all know, there have been some holes in the staff so far this year." Snape leered out over the crowd as the collective students began muttering amongst themselves, guessing at who the replacements were to be.

"Professors Alecto and Amycus Carrow will be filling the positions of Muggle Studies and Defense against the Dark Arts, respectively. They are setting up their offices as we speak and I hope that you will give them all the respect of any teacher at this school."

A deafening silence followed these words and was only broken by the sound of a door opening as a fourth year Ravenclaw stood up and left. A couple other students followed, but the rest stayed in rapt silence.

"That is all," Snape spat out before sitting back down.

"Holy. Shit." Nora said as Ginny picked at her toast. "Those two are Death Eaters. _Known _Death Eaters. What the hell are they doing here?"

"It isn't Dumbledore's Hogwarts anymore," Ginny said in a deadpan voice. "Don't you see? Since the Ministry is completely at their command, the Death Eaters can do whatever they want. Including setting up shop at this school. And of course with Snape as headmaster, there's no telling what kind of trouble they will be able to get away with."

Neville scooted over to them. "Is it just me or has this year taken a nosedive for the worst?"

Nora patted him on the arm. "You're not alone with that thought." Neville groaned miserably. "We're all in for one shitty year."

"All except the Slytherins," Neville pointed out. "I'm sure _they'll_ all be fine."

"Yes," Ginny said, abandoning her toast. "All except the Slytherins."

* * *

A certain blonde Slytherin was amusing himself by bouncing an enchanted Snitch, made to act like rubber, off of a wall in the Hospital Wing.

Draco was trying to see how many times he could bounce it before Madame Pomfrey was annoyed enough by the sound to tell him to stop.

He had reached the twentieth bounce before her door banged open and she came storming out.

"For Merlin's sake, Mr. Malfoy! Will you _kindly_ stop making that racket? I am trying to work in here." Madame Pomfrey adjusted her healer cap in frustration.

Draco grinned and picked up his wand. Writing out his sentence in purple letters he told the wed-witch that if she would let him get some exercise, if she let him go outside…

"Absolutely not," Madame Pomfrey cut his writing off. "Do you not understand the consequence of such actions? And stop writing with your wand. You should be practicing speaking, not relying on floating letters."

Draco sighed dramatically and picked up his wand again. BUT I CAN'T TALK AS FAST AS I CAN WRITE.

Madame Pomfrey flapped a hand through his words, dissolving the letters in the air. "Then I suggest that you get someone to help you practice using words again. _Real _words, Mr. Malfoy, not these things you produce from your wand."

Draco looked at the witch's retreating back incredulously.

I DON'T HAVE ANYONE WHO HAS THE TIME. He wrote. _Or anyone who would want to help me._

Madame Pomfrey ignored his excuse. "Find someone, Mr. Malfoy, for I am reaching my limit. I _know_ you know the words; you just aren't _trying _hard enough. Get your friend to help you, Ms Weasley, the one who helped you here. I'm sure she would make time."

Draco snorted.

"Don't get lazy, Mr. Malfoy. I know you can do this," Madame Pomfrey said encouragingly at her door. Then she snapped; "And _don't _bounce that Snitch anymore! You're giving me a headache!" And with that, the woman slammed the door on Draco.

The blonde wizard sighed and bounced the Snitch one last time for good measure.

_Weasley, huh?_ He thought. _I doubt she would help me. I mean saving my life is one thing, she's a Gryffindor, she did that on principal, she practically _had _to, it's in her nature. But helping me speak?_

Draco let out a laugh. _That would never happen. I don't care how charitable she is. She's a Weasley and I'm Malfoy._

An image of the two of them sitting side by side on his hospital bed pops into his mind; her face is in pleasant surprise as he recites his rehearsed sentence to her. The Draco in his mind smiles as she does, and the light hits her hair just right…just like it did in St. Mungo's…

_What am I doing?_ Draco shook his head and the pretty image of Ginny disappeared from his mind's eye. _Yeah, she's pretty but she's not _that_ pretty._

Draco grinned as he thought of the look on the girl's face if she had heard him say that out loud.

_I actually wouldn't mind talking to her,_ Draco surprised himself by thinking. _I mean she's still a blood traitor but at least she's intelligent. A singularity in _that_ family if you ask me…_

Draco smirked.

His smile evaporated when he heard the sound of the Hospital Wing's door opening and he saw who stood on the threshold.

It was Blaise Zabini.

Draco exhaled and pulled out his wand. OH GOOD IT'S YOU. I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE.

"Who?" said Blaise with a sly smile. "Pansy? Oh no, she's much too busy pining after you to do any real snooping around. She still thinks you're at home, she has no idea. Theo and I have kept our mouths shut. Just like we said, if I may remind you."

Draco rolled his eyes and wiped his previous words away. SO, WHAT'S NEW?

"Nothing," Blaise replied, hauling a bag around and plopping it on Draco's unoccupied bed. "This, however, is your school work that you need to catch up on. Mostly last year's work that you missed because of the…_cabinet_ business, but there's some of this year's work as well…"

Draco let Blaise prattle on for a bit before writing a question in the air in front of his friend.

IS IT TRUE THAT THE CARROWS ARE AT HOGWARTS?

Blaise sighed. "Yeah, they're the Muggle Studies and Defense teachers. Bloody creepy though, those two. Even _I _don't like them."

Draco raised his eyebrows. _MUGGLE_ STUDIES?

"Makes sense, doesn't it?" Blaise waved his arms spookily and tried to look conspiratorial. "Influencing the minds of the youth, blah, blah."

Draco grimaced.

"I know, mate, I know. But here's your homework which I suggest you get started on right away if you want to catch up in this century. I have to go, see you later." Blaise left Draco in silence.

The blonde looked down at the massive pile of books and parchments stacked in a mound on his bed and groaned.

_This is going to take _forever_ to get through._

Sifting through the piles of assignments Draco felt an overwhelming surge of stress crash over him.

_Merlin, I'm _never_ going to get these done. I'll never catch up._

He stomped over to Madame Pomfrey's door and banged on it. The school healer came to the door and looked down at Draco annoyed.

"What is it, Mr. Malfoy?" She saw him move his wand and cut him off. "Ah! And use your words."

Draco glared at the woman for a moment then gestured sharply behind him to the pile of school work he had stacked on his bed.

"E-e-sh-cused w-wuh-work?"

"Excused from this work?" Madame Pomfrey guessed correctly. "No, why would you think that? Oh because you're injured." She said in reply to his gesture towards his throat. "No, you will do your work just like any other Hogwarts student."

"H-h-ow?" was all he managed.

"How what, Mr. Malfoy? How are you going to get through all of that?"

Draco nodded.

"I don't know, I guess you'll have to find a tutor." And with that, Madame Pomfrey slammed the door in his face.

Draco was stunned. _I don't need a tutor, I'm not retarded._

He looked around to the pile and sighed.

_Okay, maybe I do…_


	9. Chapter 9

**I know, so I haven't updated in a while. BUT I have an excuse. My mom was in a cycling accident and broke her collar bone and two bones in her pelvis, so I've been a little distracted.**

**But here I am now, ever loyal to you all who read the good stuff that is FAN FICTION. May our souls be blessed by words.**

**Wow I'm losing my mind. This is what happens when you're exhausted and you go for seven mile runs two days in a row.**

**SIGH**

**JK Rowling owns it all.  
**

* * *

_**Screams surrounded her…echoing deep into her soul…a wheezing laugh cutting though her head like ice…pain…unbearable pain…GINNY!!!**_

Ginny sat bolt upright in her bed, sweating and panting heavily.

_A dream, just a dream…_She calmed herself. _Well, more like a nightmare really._

The red-head stilled her shaking hands long enough to pour herself a glass of water and gulp it down before settling back down into her Hogwarts four post bed.

She looked around to the sleeping forms of her classmates and sighed. They were enjoying peaceful night sleeps while she had to suffer from nightmares.

Ginny lay on her bed looking up at her canopy unable to sleep. She'd been having that same nightmare since it had happened to her, although…

_Although this was the first night that someone else was in my dream._

Ginny wondered who had called out her name that had woken her up and saved her from the pain she was experiencing in her head.

But the harder she tried to focus on the face, the more elusive the details were. She couldn't even remember if it was a guy or girl. Just someone with light hair calling out to her…for help?

_Why would someone need my help?_ Ginny thought hard. _It was probably Hermione. I'm so stressed about those three and their safety that Hermione's voice is manifesting in my dreams._

Her thoughts began to circle sleepily in her head, lulling her eyes to a close.

_I'd better get some rest…new Defense 'teacher' to deal with tomorrow…_

The next time Ginny opened her eyes, it was not voluntary.

"Ginny! Wake up! You slept through breakfast you freak." Ginny heard Nora's laugh and sat up.

"Ugh," Ginny groaned holding her forehead and blinking rapidly in the morning light. "What?"

"Yeah, you were dead to the world earlier so I left you to sleep a bit. When you didn't come down to breakfast…Well, here's a piece of toast." Nora held out a napkin to Ginny and looked expectantly down at the red-head.

"Toast…what is first period?" Ginny asked Nora, taking the toast and slowing getting out of bed. _Merlin, I'm exhausted._

"Defense," Nora said in a heavy voice.

"Fuck!" Ginny yelped and jumped out of bed. "We can't be late for that class, Nora, you know that!"

"Yeah, I know, that's why I woke you up."

Ginny glared at the other girl as she tripped her way into her school robes. "You should have done it earlier," she grumbled.

Nora shrugged. "I'm not your mummy."

"Yes, thanks for that reminder," Ginny said, grabbing her bag and pushing Nora out of the room. "Let's go!"

Nora laughed as she almost fell down the stairs. "Alright, I'm going. I'll bet if we walk in together it won't be as bad."

* * *

Ginny and Nora opened the door the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom and froze on the threshold as everyone turned to look at them.

"Ah, some _stragglers._ How kind of you to join us," a slimy voice slithered towards the two girls. The voice, full of madness and malice rocketed Ginny's memory back to the Burrow, on the day of the wedding.

Ginny's heart squeezed in fear as she looked up into the eyes of the Death Eater that had performed the Cruciatus Curse on her that summer's day over two months ago. She trembled.

"Well? Take your seats; we were just going through the roll call when you so rudely interrupted. What are your names?" The squat, ugly man asked the pair as they found seats near the middle.

"Moreno, sir. Nora Moreno."

"Good. And…?"

Nora nudged Ginny in the ribs with her elbow. "Ginny Weasley, Professor," she squeaked out.

The Death Eater looked startled for a moment, his eyes widening, then a horrible grin slid across his fleshy face. "Weasley," he drawled, as if tasting a rare food. "I do believe we've met before, haven't we?"

Ginny sat, unmoving.

"Yes, at your shack over the summer. Didn't I tell you I would be seeing you soon?" He let out a laugh that sounded more like a wheezing giggle, a sound more fit for an insane two year old. Ginny shuddered but noticed that no one else laughed, not even the Slytherins, as she had expected them to.

"50 points for being late, for the both of you," the man suddenly snapped. Ginny heard Nora's sharp intake of breath. "As I was saying…Oh yes. I am your new professor for Defense against the Dark Arts. You may call me Professor Carrow."

Nora started to whisper bitterly under her breath. "I sure as hell won't be calling you anything but a mother-"

"Stop," Ginny pleaded with Nora, the red-head's voice was so desperate sounding that the other girl looked around in alarm.

"Ginny, what is it?" The girl asked, concerned.

"I-I don't feel very well," Ginny finally said.

Nora put her hand on her friends back to steady the girl as she swayed. "Does this have to do with…_him?_" Nora inclined her head towards the front of the classroom where Professor Carrow stood with his back to them, writing on the blackboard.

Ginny managed a nod.

"Thought so. Want to go to the Hospital wing?"

Ginny thought of who occupied the Hospital wing at the moment and shook her head. "No, I'll deal with this without help. I have to."

Nora shrugged. "Suit yourself." And she settled back into her chair, although she kept an eye on her friend for the rest of the hour.

* * *

As soon as the time was up, Ginny ran out of the classroom, jostling the other students out of her way. She didn't care about bumping into them and she didn't hear their protests. All Ginny wanted was to put as much distance between her and that _man_ as she could.

"Oi! Ginny, wait up!" Ginny recognized Nora's voice calling after her but she ignored it as she turned a corner and walked straight into Professor McGonagall.

"Dear Merlin, Weasley. What has gotten you so shook up you can't even watch where you're going?" The woman peered down at the girl who was distractedly glancing over her shoulder.

"N-nothing, Professor, I'm fine. S-sorry about bumping into you," Ginny stammered before stepping around the witch.

Professor McGonagall sighed. "Did you just come from Defense against the Dark Arts?" she asked wisely.

Ginny nodded, eyes studying the ground intently.

"Listen, lass," McGonagall said in a soft voice Ginny had never heard before. "You have to be strong this year. Strong enough to not let them get to you, strong like Albus would have wanted."

Ginny looked up into McGonagall's kindly eyes. "So I guess requesting to drop the class is out of the question?"

McGonagall smiled. "Aye, I'm sorry. But don't be afraid. If your fear shows they'll use it to their advantage."

Ginny grimaced. "I'll try. Thank you Professor." She turned to walk away when McGonagall called out.

"Have you been in to see Mr. Malfoy in the Hospital wing recently? I heard he's dying for some visitors."

Ginny shot the older woman a look. "We are _not _friends. Nor do we like each other well enough to have an enjoyable visit. Besides he wouldn't want me to visit, I'm sure his other friends will stop by and entertain him."

The Scottish woman looked genuinely surprised. "I thought you two were friendly, with you saving his life and all. And I thought you would try a little harder to forage new friendships this year, what with the Sorting Hats song, the situation out there…my mistake." The witch nodded to the girl who was now looking stunned. "You best be on your way, Weasley, wouldn't want to be late for Charms now would we?" And with that, McGonagall turned and swept off down the hallway.

Ginny stared after her for a moment before turning herself and leaving to walk towards the Charms classroom.

Plunking herself down in her seat next to Nora, Ginny calmly took out her wand and waited for Nora's barrage of questions.

"Why did you-" Nora started only to be cut off by Ginny's hand.

"Not now, Nora. I'll tell you later."

Nora huffed and picked up her wand. "You better."

Ginny just smiled sadly.

* * *

Later that night Ginny was alone in the common room catching up on some Transfiguration reading. She wasn't really reading anymore, she was mostly staring off into the fire, watching the flames flicker and wishing they could warm her soul as much as they warmed her body.

Telling Nora about the Death Eater attack at her house and what had happened didn't feel right to Ginny, but she had told the girl anyway, concerned that if she kept it inside of her for too long, she would eventually burst.

_Besides, McGonagall wants me to 'forage new friendships', so I can't lie to Nora._

Ginny thought of whom McGonagall had wanted her to forage a friendship with earlier that day and snorted.

_Like we would be friends. Like we _could_! We hate each other and that's that._

But as Ginny continued to stare into the fire she couldn't help but smile slightly at the memories she had of him after their surgery. They had connected somewhat and she had enjoyed his company.

_It was probably because I was on drugs._ She said firmly to herself. _And anyway, I did try to see him, to make sure he was…alright. And it was clear he didn't want me near him. He didn't say anything; he couldn't even say my name!_

Ginny angrily closed her book and then sighed, calming. _But why is he not back in classes? I haven't seen him around school and he looked fine when I saw him, so why is he still hiding?_

She looked down at her notes she had taken that day and shuffled them into order. _He's probably scared of the reception he'll get if he shows his face to the rest of the school._

Ginny paused. _Still, I can' blame him for wanting to hide. That's what I wanted to do today._

Yawning, Ginny put away her things and started climbing the stairs to her room, not looking forward to another nightmare, when a wheat-colored Great Grey Owl soared in through a window and landed on the window ledge before her.

Stopping short Ginny was amazed to see that the owl held out its leg to her. Taking the note, Ginny gasped when it abruptly flew off. It was a beautiful bird, made even more exquisite in flight. It had a certain elegance about it…

She unrolled the note.

_Weasley-_

_I need a tutor and Madame Pomfrey says you're a good choice. Come to the Hospital wing every Thursday night after hours so no one sees you to help me with my school work._

_Malfoy._

_P.S. Today is Thursday._

By the end of the letter Ginny's mouth was hanging open with indignation. The nerve of that boy! Ginny ran up the stairs and dropped her bag off next to her bed with a thunk and ran back down the stairs and out of the portrait hole to give that _git_ a piece of her mind.

* * *

**BWAHAHA I love Draco's note. So funny. So haughty. So him. tee hee**

**I will update soon.**

**Promise.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Something funky is happening with my account and the page won't load all the way. So updating is hard. I can't figure it out but for now...a nice long chapter for all of you :)**

**JK Rowling owns everything  
**

* * *

Draco was patiently taking out his school work when Ginny stormed into the Hospital wing. He smirked; he could feel her anger even without looking up.

He watched calmly as she stomped over to the bed he was sitting on and stuck her face in his. "What is _this?_" she demanded, thrusting out his note. He shrugged, looking innocent.

"Well?" she said in a shrill voice. Draco just relaxed back onto his headboard and crossed his arms.

Ginny frowned, adding a cute wrinkle to her nose. Something jolted inside of Draco. _Cute? _He thought, disgusting himself. _Since when do I think she's cute?_

"Why won't you say anything?" the girl asked, straightening back up and looking curiously down at her opponent.

Draco sighed. He hadn't wanted to explain this to her until he could square his debt to her by saying his sentence perfectly, but his graduation from Hogwarts was at stake. Rolling his eyes, Draco took out his wand.

"What? What's that? Why are you doing that?" Ginny's rambling questions caused Draco to stare at her for a moment. Was she really that annoying? He hadn't remembered her annoying side from St. Mungo's… He interrupted her stream of questions by writing purple letters in the air with his wand.

I CAN'T SPEAK, WEASEL.

The shocked look on her face was something Draco was expecting. "Why?" she asked. "Did you forget how? Death Eaters got your tongue?" She at least had the grace not to snicker at her own dumb joke.

Draco tried not to look too annoyed. He was going to need her help and her trust. IF I TELL YOU, YOU HAVE TO PROMISE NOT TO TELL ANYONE ELSE, OKAY?

He watched as her eyes narrowed, a look of careful calculation coming over her face. Draco knew that look; he had seen in many times on that of a scheming Slytherin. He had never expected to see it on a Gryffindor. The thought made him slightly more comfortable with his choice of confidant.

"I…_promise_," she said slowly, like she was savoring the moment, locking it in her memory as a contract rather than as just a statement.

GOOD. WHAT THE HEALER'S DID TO ME AT ST. MUNGO'S HAD LASTING EFFECTS. Draco wrote quickly. THERE WAS- Draco paused in his writing and then amended his wording. THERE _IS_ DAMAGE TO THE SPEECH PORTION OF MY BRAIN. I'VE SPENT THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS HERE, LEARNING HOW TO TALK AGAIN.

The look of concern that crossed over Ginny's delicate features caused Draco's heart to squeeze. He rubbed his chest, disregarding it as him not having enough exercise that day.

"R-really?" Ginny finally said in a soft voice. Draco stuck up his chin. "That's…_awful._ I'm sorry I couldn't get you here sooner, I am so s-"

Draco held out a hand and cut her off. I DON'T WANT YOUR PITY. He wrote in slanting, angry lettering.

Ginny raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, throwing out a hip and standing with an attitude as her look of concern drained rapidly from her pretty face. _Again with the pretty! Get a hold of yourself, Draco!_ The blonde reprimanded himself.

"Fine," Ginny spat. "Then what do you want?" She whipped out his note again and pretended to have a hard time remembering what it said. "You want…what was it again? A tutor? Why?"

Draco rolled his eyes again. YES, A TUTOR. OBVIOUSLY I'VE FALLEN BEHIND IN MY SCHOOL WORK SO-

Ginny cut him off. "So get someone else in your grade to do it. I've got my own stuff to worry about. And can't you get one of your Slytherin friends to help you out. Nut or something…"

IT'S NOTT, AND NO, BLAISE AND THEO ARE BUSY WITH SOMETHING ELSE.

Ginny looked suspicious, but Draco kept writing. AND GREG AND VINCE ARE TOO DUMB TO HELP ME OUT, PLUS, THEY DON'T WANT TO…

"So?" Ginny interrupted again. "I still have better things to do than help you out, ferret. What about your girlfriend, Parkinsang?"

IT'S PARKINSON; DON'T YOU EVER GET NAMES RIGHT? AND I DON'T WANT HER TO KNOW ABOUT ME. IT'S COMPLICATED, SHE STILL THINKS I'M AT HOME AND IT WILL STAY THAT WAY, UNDERSTAND?

Ginny held up her hands in defense. "Alright, I understand. But why me? And why should I help?"

Draco smirked. She was making this challenging for him and the difficulty was fun. MOST OF THE WORK I MISSED WAS FROM LAST YEAR, AND YOU'RE DOING THAT WORK NOW, SO YOU KNOW IT THE BEST. AND BECAUSE I TRUST YOU, EVEN IF YOU ARE A STINKING GRYFFINDOR.

Ginny raised her eyebrows, doubting. Draco just shrugged. YOU WERE THE ONE WHO BROUGHT ME HERE, WHO SAVED MY LIFE; IT MAKES SENSE THAT I TRUST YOU. IT'S LOGICAL.

"Logical," Ginny snorted.

Draco rubbed his forehead. YES, LOGICAL, AND I KNOW THAT YOU LIKE HELPING PEOPLE AND YOU'RE A GOOD PERSON AND THIS WILL NAW AT YOUR STUPID GRYIFFINDOR CONSCIENCE UNTIL YOU _DO _HELP ME SO IT'S YOUR MOVE, REALLY.

Draco sat back feeling satisfied with the seed he had planted. Alright, so the helping people thing was a guess, but Slytherins had stereotypes about Gryffindors too. And judging by the strange look on Ginny's face, he had made the right gamble.

"Okay," she exhaled heavily. "But if I do help you, and I'm not saying that I will yet, but if I do…hypothetically…then what's in it for me? I mean really, did you think I would do this out of the pure goodness of my heart?"

Draco frowned slightly. YES.

Ginny let out a short laugh. "Of course you did. Well! Sorry but if you can offer me nothing in return I am happy to say that I am disinclined to ac-"

PROTECTION. Draco interrupted Ginny for what felt like the thousandth time that evening. I CAN OFFER YOU PROTECTION FROM THE DEATH EATERS.

Okay, so that was a gamble too. Not really a gamble, more like an empty promise; his family had no more power within the ranks of the Dark Lord, but she didn't have to know that.

Ginny was brought up short by this comment and looked like she was seriously considering it. Draco breathed a mental sigh of relief. _Take the bait, come on, take the damn bait…_

Finally. "Deal. But I decide what kind of protection and where, no questions asked by you and you don't give me a hard time, okay?"

Draco nodded, trying not to look too happy.

"Good," Ginny looked satisfied, and then curious. "But if you've been here for two months why are you still using a wand to communicate? Shouldn't you have been speaking a little bit by now? Please don't tell me you want me to help you with that too?"

IT'S TOO LATE TO START ANYTHING TONIGHT, WEASEL. I'LL SEE YOU NEXT THURSDAY. REMEMBER, NOT A WORD TO ANYONE.

Draco turned his back on her and hoped that she got the hint. The quiet click of the Hospital wing door confirmed that she had.

It wasn't that he couldn't talk by now; it's just that he didn't want to. _I sound like an idiot when I try to speak, and I refuse to let her, or anyone, hear me before I'm perfect._

He eyed the door that had closed on the red-head girl and rolled his eyes. _That girl is going to be the death of me, I can feel it._

_

* * *

  
_

Ginny left the Hospital wing feeling weird. She had just agreed to help Hogwarts Most Hated catch up on his studies. Which he was only behind on because he had tried to kill the school's favorite headmaster.

_What the fuck is wrong with me?_ The girl asked herself on the way back to Gryffindor tower.

But he was right; she did feel the need to help him, to do _something _to make up for what happened to him. Of course she felt responsible. If she had just gotten him to Hogwarts a little earlier…

Well, there was no use in thinking about ifs. Right now Ginny felt like someone had just rammed into her on a broom, she was so tired.

_It's those damn nightmares I keep having,_ Ginny thought to herself as she climbed the staircase and stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. _I need a sleeping potion._

" '_Eclipse'_," Ginny said to the painting and expecting it to swing forward she banged into it when it didn't. "Hey!" Ginny shouted, rubbing her forehead.

"Sorry, love," the Fat Lady said, looking down at the student. "The passwords changed. Didn't anyone tell you?"

"Clearly, no." Ginny sighed thinking hard. _I could go down to Hagrid's…or the Hospital wing-No! Not there. Never mind. I'll sleep in the hallway…_

Ginny turned when she heard giggles coming up from behind her. Two first year girls were coming around the corner looking satisfied with themselves for sneaking out so late and making it back without being caught. But they froze at the sight of Ginny.

"Don't worry, I won't report you," Ginny surpressed a smiled. "But only if you tell me what the new password is."

One of the wide-eyed girls nodded quickly. "Sure, its '_ferret_'."

Ginny's head jerked. "_What?"_ _Oh great,_ she thought, entering in through the portal after the two girls. _I just can't escape him, can I? Oh, Merlin, that boy is going to be the death of me._

_

* * *

  
_

Waking up the next day, Ginny wasn't feeling so ambivalent to 'that boy' like she had the previous night.

"I _hate _him," she told herself brushing her hair in the mirror. "So I _won't _help him. I don't care what protection he has to offer, he's a _Death Eater,_ he could be lying for all I know. I hate him."

"Who do you hate?" Nora asked, bouncing back in from the bathroom.

Ginny's nerves fizzed from surprise and she gulped and quickly tried to avoid the question. "Has anyone ever told you how annoying you are in the morning?"

"Several times," her friend laughed, putting away her toothbrush. "So, who do you hate?"

Ginny sighed. "Malfoy."

"Yeah, but he's hot," said Lucy Wren from across the room.

Someone else giggled. "Yeah, for an evil Slytherin!"

"Mmm," Nora said, joining in. "I'd like to _punish _him for his evil deeds, if you know what I mean."

Ginny felt her cheeks flush and ignored them. Grabbing Nora by the arm she tugged her out of the room. "There will be no _punishing _of anyone, as far as I'm concerned."

"Oh come on, Ginny," Lucy sang out from behind her. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it. We all have! Forbidden fruit and all…" the rest of the girls in the room collapsed into giggles again as Nora and Ginny left them behind to descend the stairs to the common room.

Nora pulled her arm free of Ginny's grasp, still chuckling. "Well he _is _sexy," she said, checking her school bag for all her books. "Don't deny it."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Whatever, let's get breakfast."

"No, look! You're blushing! I knew it; you _do _think he's hot!" Nora did a little dance which almost made her trip going out the portrait hole.

"Shut up," Ginny growled.

Nora shook her head, grinning broadly. "Ooh, does Ginny have a _crush _oh her rescue-e? Hmm? Come on, say it. Say Malfoy's hot, come on-"

"No!" Ginny suddenly yelled, earning odd looks from passersby. Nora looked especially startled. "No I won't! Can't you just leave it alone! Merlin, you're annoying!"

"Jeeze, Gin, I was just teasing you. Merlin, can't you take a joke?" And with that, Nora strode off to the Great Hall without Ginny.

The fuming red-head watched her go, anger still pounding hot in her veins. Frankly, she didn't care what Nora did, she was kind of getting sick of the girl anyway.

_And I don't think he's hot, _Ginny said furiously to herself as she sat down next to Neville at breakfast, ignoring Nora.

_Because he isn't. He just isn't…_

_

* * *

  
_

Draco was practicing the alphabet when Blaise came to see him next. Ignoring his tall black friend until he was directly by his bedside, Draco lazily acknowledged him with a slow nod.

"Hi to you too," Blaise said, flinging himself down on a chair next to Draco's bed. "What?" the boy said in response to the judgmental look his blonde friend gave him. "It's been a long week okay? I'm just happy that tomorrow's Friday."

Draco's stomach gave a lurch. Thursday. In a few hours he would see Ginny. It had been a long week indeed…

"Wuh-ye?" Draco spat out with some difficulty. He had improved slightly and it showed on Blaise's impressed face.

"Nice, I see you're progressing, however slowly." A grin twitched at the corners of Draco's fellow Slytherin's mouth, contorting his handsome features into the picture of mischief.

Draco had never wondered why Blaise had problems with girls. Landing them no, maybe keeping them, but Blaise always had won out over Draco in that department for years. The only one Draco had managed to keep was Pansy, and he didn't even want her anymore.

"Shh-ut i-it," Draco managed with a smile of his own. Deciding that he had spoken enough he whipped out his wand to move the conversation along faster.

WHY HAS IT BEEN A LONG WEEK?

Blaise's smile died almost immediately. "Oh, no reason, just homework and stuff…" By the way he had trailed off; Draco knew his friend was lying.

I KNOW WHEN YOU'RE LYING. I'VE BEEN FRIENDS WITH YOU LONG ENOUGH.

"Yeah, yeah," Blaise muttered, looking defeated. He rubbed long fingers across his eyes, massaging his temples before continuing. "It's the Carrows."

I FIGURED AS MUCH. WHAT'S GOING ON?

"Well," Blaise began to explain, looking uncomfortable, and then rushing a head. "They treat everyone but the Slytherins something awful but most of us still are uncomfortable with what they're doing…"

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

"You don't want to know."

WHAT ARE THEY DOING, BLAISE?

Blaise's voice softened to a harsh whisper, one full of bitterness and rage. "The Cruciatus Curse. They're making their favorite Slytherins perform the Cruciatus Curse on people from other houses who've earned detentions. It's a punishment for both sides, really…"

Draco wasn't listening anymore and interrupted his friend. WHY THE HELL WOULD THEY DO THAT TO THE SLYTHERINS?

"Well," Blaise's shoulders heaved. "Because they think all Slytherins want to be Death Eaters. Like we're _all_ evil or something. Bit demented really."

Draco was quiet. Well he was quiet most of the time these days, but he stopped writing to think hard.

SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HELP? IS THE PLAN GOING WELL? HOW'S THEO?

"Whoa, one question at a time, mate," Blaise held up large hands. "We're doing what we can to help with the Slytherins but to tell you the truth, no one in the other houses want our help. Plus the Gorilla Twins aren't making it any easier."

GREG AND VINCE? WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

"Pansy too. They're pro-Darks, along with some other underclassmen; they think that the Carrows are the best thing to happen to this school. It's divided our house actually, you should see the common room. If you cross over to the 'wrong side'…" Blaise sighed heavily. "It's a shit show down there, mate. Fucking terrible. No one even laughs at my jokes anymore." He pretended to pout.

THAT'S BECAUSE YOUR JOKES ARE AWFUL. Draco smiled at his friend. SO WHAT ABOUT THE PLAN?

Blaise nodded, back on track. "It's moving along, but slowly. We haven't been able to place anyone in a position of trust with either one yet, but we're working on it. And yes," Blaise said before Draco could interrupt him. "We still have kept your involvement a secret just in case it would cause people not to support us. And Theo?" Blaise leaned back in his chair, groaning as he stretched his back. "Theo has hardly slept, stupid tosser, it seems like he doesn't understand the concept anymore."

Draco frowned, willing Blaise to expand. Blaise licked his lips, pausing. "He's been staying up late at night organizing new meeting places and schemes that will put us ahead of the Darkies. His name not mine, I know, a bit gay but go with it. And on top of all that he's studying and playing Quidditch…poor bloke."

_Quidditch. _The word tugged at Draco's heart. He hadn't played in such a long time…Draco missed the sport terribly but shook his head to concentrate back on what Blaise was saying.

"So yeah, he's doing his best, but really, he's shouldered too much. I keep trying to offer to take some of the load off, but he just gives me this look and then goes back to what he's doing. Don't worry, he won't jeopardize the plan, he's too smart for that."

Blaise stopped speaking when he heard the Hospital wing door click open and shut behind him. Turning, he saw Ginny enter the room.

"Ah! The lovely Ms. Ginevra here to help Draco is it?" He asked with a wide smirk.

Ginny flushed. "That's Ms. _Weasley_ to you Zabini, and unless you want to be hexed until your dying day, I suggest you don't forget it."

"Easy there, _Weasley_," Blaise laughed, unconcerned by her threat. "I was just leaving, no need to get territorial."

"Territorial?" Ginny spluttered.

Blaise clapped Draco on his shoulder. "See you later, mate. Have fun you two." He waved cheerily and passed the fuming Ginny. "Don't wear him out too much," the boy said, bending down to speak closer to Ginny's ear.

Ginny shrugged him off. "_Goodbye_, Zabini."

Blaise just laughed as he exited the wing.

DEAR MERLIN, WEASLEY, WHAT'S GOT YOUR KNICKERS IN A TWIST?

Ginny looked increducdiously at him and then motioned to the door. "Look, I could leave if you want me too or…"

NO, DON'T LEAVE.

"Well then," Ginny said pompously. "I suggest you act civil towards me or you risk losing your tutor."

FINE.

"Good," Ginny stated, sitting down in the chair Blaise had recently vacated. "Let's get this over with. I thought we'd start with Potions…"


	11. Chapter 11

**omg an update**

**jk rowling owns it  
**

* * *

"Weasley! If you yawn one more time, so help me I will throw you out of this classroom myself!" Professor McGonagall yelled causing Ginny to jump in her seat in Transfiguration the next morning. The snickering from Ginny's classmates was an added bonus.

"Sorry Professor," Ginny said in a meek voice, blushing. "It won't happen again."

"It better not," the witch glared at her student one last time before returning to writing on the black board.

"Merlin, Weasley," Nora drawled under her breath. "Why _are _you so tired today? Actually, come to think of it, you were tired last Friday too. I wonder if it has something to do with you staying out late each Thursday nights these past two weeks."

"Well if it did I wouldn't tell you," Ginny snapped at Nora who eyed her with raised eyebrows.

"I'm going to chalk your attitude up to your lack of sleep, shall I?"

"Do whatever you want, I don't care," Ginny said just as moodily. But the truth was that she _was _tired. She and Draco had been up almost all night studying and reviewing Potions work early into the morning.

Ginny sighed, remembering. He was good at the subject, even mentioning once that it was his favorite. But she had fortunately been able to keep up with him, although just barely. She thought back to last night...

"So what are the ingredients for the Draught of Living Death?" she had asked him.

She saw him roll his eyes, an action that he was getting pretty good at. I'VE ALREADY LEARNED THAT ONE, WEASLEY. MOVE ON.

"Okay," Ginny sighed, rapidly flipping through her notes from Slughorn's class. "Fine. What is the special ingredient in a memory Potion?"

Draco thought. JOBBERKNOLL FEATHERS.

Ginny let a small smile seep through. "Right. Next question. What is the function of Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction?"

Draco had remembered learning about this and he wracked his brain. After a pause Draco answered. TO HEAL THE DAMAGE DONE BY THOUGHTS?

"Right again."

YOU SOUND SURPRISED.

Ginny felt herself give a lopsided grin as she refused to meet his dancing eyes. Rifling through her papers again, Ginny searched for a really difficult one. "Do you have to really hate someone to concoct a hate potion?"

Draco blinked at her and then smiled. TRICK QUESTION. A HATE POTION IS MERELY AN ILLUSION OF HATE, JUST AS A LOVE POTION IS OF LOVE. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE HATE SOMEONE TO MAKE A SUCESSFUL POTION.

"Right, so what does it do instead?" Ginny saw the confusion in his eyes and thought she had tricked him.

But then he smirked. IT REVEALS THE OBJECTS WORST FAULTS AND HABITS TO THE DRINKER.

Ginny sighed and sat back in her chair. "You have behaved admirably, my opponent," she said, teasingly. "I bow to you." She gave him a wide smile which he returned.

They sat there, grinning at each other for a while until Ginny realized the stupidity of the situation. Clearing her throat she looked away first. "Yeah, anyway, so it looks like you're good with Potions for now so we'll check in on it each week and move on to Transfiguration tomorrow."

Coming back to the present, Ginny found herself blushing in McGonagall's class and mortified, she pressed her hands to her cheeks to try and cool them off.

Focusing intently on the class at hand, Ginny tried to distract herself from the thoughts of stormy grey eyes looking at hers with such intensity that they gave her shivers in places that definitely shouldn't be shivering.

* * *

Draco woke up that Friday morning late having slept in and much to his satisfaction he felt rested unlike he had in days. Something in the back of his mind attributed this feeling of rejuvenation to a certain red-head, but Draco quickly quashed the thought.

_It has nothing to do with her, _he told himself. Although he remembered liking the way her cheeks had colored when their eyes had met. _Alright, so she's attractive,_ Draco allowed himself. _But it's not like I can do anything about it._

Draco shifted uncomfortably in his bed, turning his thoughts back towards the rational. _All I can do is learn to speak my sentence, thank her, and then be rid of her._

But as Draco thought harder about his situation, it became clear that he would need her probably for the rest of the year. And there had to be someway that he could convince her to help him with his speech as well. So much had to be done, and Draco settled down to plot out a way to either convince or trick Ginny into helping him in more ways than just as a tutor.

"It's Saturday, mate! And sunny out, in November, sunny! Come on, a day like this comes once in a lifetime and you simply have to come with me." Blaise was trying to convince Draco to come outside with him the next day.

I KNOW, I KNOW, Draco wrote out, smiling at his friend's enthusiasm. BUT NO ONE CAN SEE ME.

Blaise glared at Draco for a moment. "You think I'm stupid, don't you?" The question made Draco laugh, a sound that he had almost forgotten he could make. "Yeah, that's right, laugh at me. That _really _makes me want to put a good Disallusionment Charm on you-ow!"

Blaise was cut off from his whining my a sharp punch in his shoulder from Draco. Laughing again, Draco flung his Hogwarts cloak about his shoulders and smiled expectantly up at his tall friend. WELL? LET'S GO.

"Glad to have you back, mate. Now don't go writing letters in the air until I tell you know one's looking. Or better yet, you could practice speaking instead…no I didn't think so." Draco had glared at Blaise who was now taking out his wand.

After casting the charm on Draco, Blaise turned and cast a spell on Draco's vacated hospital bed, making it look like a sleeping form was under the covers. "I know," Blaise said with a grin. "Pretty good if I do say so myself. And I can't see you, which is a good thing, but you better be looking impressed."

I'M NOT. Purple letters hung in the air, and without an owner, they looked creepy to Blaise.

"Don't do that, it's weird looking. Come on, Theo's meeting us down by the lake." The two boys walked in silence out of the castle, Draco beneath his charm enjoying the feeling of uneven ground beneath his legs, the smell of fresh air, the mist of the morning fog… It was a good thing he was invisible otherwise he was sure his face would have given Blaise cause to make fun of him.

"Hey, Theo," Blaise called out, raising an arm in greeting to the boy sitting under a tree near the lake.

Theo nodded in reply and looked to either side of Blaise. "Is he here?"

Blaise nodded and gestured to his left. "Doesn't he look great?" He grinned at the look Theo shot him.

"I thought we could walk around to the far side of the lake, just to get some privacy." Theo stood, closing his book as he did so.

As they walked, Draco noticed how haggard Theo looked. _Blaise was right, _he thought. _He does look terrible._ The dark circles under Theo's eyes were only exaggerated in the light of day, causing the boy to look pale and sickly when he usually was athletic and tan.

Reaching the far side of the lake where hardly anyone ventured, Draco convinced Blaise to remove his Disallusionment Charm.

Theo and Draco shook hands and clapped each other on the back. "It's good to finally see you, Draco." Theo said warmly, despite his outward appearance of weakness.

"Y-yuh-ooh t-t-too," Draco stuttered out.

Theo raised his eyebrows. "I thought you'd be better than that by now, when Blaise said you were improving I had hoped he meant it."

Blaise chocked on a piece of his apple he was working on. "I _did _mean it! Just because the wanker hasn't made any improvement _since _I saw him last…"

Draco sighed. I'M TRYING, THEO.

"Try harder," Theo said with a straight face. "We need you and your voice to help us with our…_efforts._"

Blaise finished his apple and threw it into the woods. "Yeah, but it won't be the same. You heard his voice, Theo. The new version's all weird sounding and scratchy like."

Draco shoved Blaise but then turned back to Theo. I KNOW I HAVEN'T MADE MUCH PROGRESS AND IT FRUSTRATES ME AS WELL. BUT I HAVE NO ONE TO PRACTICE REGULARLY WITH EVER SINCE POMFREY GAVE UP ON ME. I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU COULD HELP?

Theo shook his head and Draco's hopeful look fell. "Sorry, but I can't. I wish I could but between the Plan and Quidditch and schoolwork and keeping up pretences, I'm spread as far as I can go for the moment."

"Told you," Blaise interjected. Draco and Theo ignored him.

THEN I HAVE TO ASK YOU BOTH A QUESTION ABOUT MY SPEECH THERAPY.

"Speech therapy?" Blaise snorted. "That sounds gay."

"Blaise, please!" Theo shouted, rubbing his eyes. Grimacing at his friends Blaise abandoned them to sit under a tree near the water.

I WAS THINKING OF TRYING TO GET THE WEASLEY GIRL TO HELP ME. Draco tried to ignore Theo's shocked look as he rushed on. I HAVEN'T TOLD HER ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING BUT SHE ALREADY IS TUTORING ME SO-

"Great," Theo interrupted looking pleased. "She's the one who rescued you, isn't she?"

WELL YES, BUT-

"Then that settles it. I mean, if she's already agreed to help you out with tutoring, I don't see why she wouldn't extend her charities to your speech therapy."

"Gay," Blaise grumbled from the lake's edge.

BUT HOW DO I CONVINCE HER THAT IT'S WORTH HER WHILE? Draco was surprised that Theo and Blaise were taking this so well.

"I'm sure you'll think of something. Besides, she's a Gryffindor. She's _built _to help. Play to her noble side and you'll get her to come around and help you." Theo gave Draco a rare smile and left his side to go sit by Blaise. "You know Blaise, you're really annoying when you want to be."

"I know, right?"

Draco let their conversation drift out of his earshot as he wandered a little away from them. Walking to the edge of the lake, Draco looked down at the gently rippling waters at an angle where he could only see the sky and not his reflection.

He took a deep breath and tried to speak his sentence.

"T-t-th-hh-a-k y-yuh-oo f-f-fo-or ssss-ss-ssss-" _Oh fuck it all, _Draco thought bitterly. Still, that was pretty good. Farther than he had gotten before. He thought about the sentence in his head, mulling over it again and again until he decided to change it.

_Thank you for saving my life…Ginny._


	12. Chapter 12

**LOOK! Another update!!! Quick! Grab it before it disapperates!!!!**

**Jk Rowling owns it all, including the word disapperate  
**

* * *

It was Monday morning again, two weeks since her first official tutoring session, and Ginny groaned while she stretched in her bed, tired from studying her Defense notes late at night.

Everyone had to study that subject fervently now that the Carrows were their teachers. And those who were taking both Defense Against the Dark Arts _and_ Muggle Studies… Well, Merlin help them all.

Ginny hadn't had the pleasure of being on the receiving end of one of their punishments yet, but she had heard the nasty rumors and had kept on her toes ever since. Fortunately, no one in her class had screwed up that badly yet and the only punishment doled out so far was point deduction.

But, as Nora had put it yesterday, it was only a matter of time.

Ginny got ready for the day slowly, as if dragging out her morning routine would prolong the inevitable but after Nora was fed up by Ginny's extremely slow hair brushing, the brunette had grabbed her friend and dragged her down to breakfast.

"Ow," Ginny said, massaging her wrists in the Great Hall.

Nora just ignored her dramatics. "Next time don't be so slow."

Ginny grumbled but grabbed a piece of toast. Picking at it, she tried to eat but found, like every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, when she had her Defense class, she couldn't stomach anything more that a bite or two.

"Come on," Neville coaxed her; he always noticed little things like that with his friends. "You have to eat. It's not good for you to be half-starving the way you are."

Ginny laughed. "I'm not starving, if anything I could stand to lose a bit of weight…"

"Oh shut it," Nora told her red-headed friend. "Like you need to."

"Nora, I'm serious. Ever since Snape banned Quidditch last Saturday after the Hufflepuff Slytherin match, I swear I've lost my shape."

"Round is a shape," Nora grinned wickedly and Ginny stuck her tongue out. "But seriously, Ginny, don't worry about it. You look great. And besides, eating less will make you gain more weight because you'll just binge later."

Scrunching her nose at Nora, Ginny took a big bite of her toast to make a point.

"There's a good girl," Nora said jokingly. Then, glancing at her watch the girl paled a little. "Come on then, its time."

"You sound like you're going to the gallows." Neville observed.

Ginny's hands shook as she gathered her bag. "Aren't we? It's Defense for us now."

"Oh," was all Neville had to say.

"See ya," Nora said, trying to be cheerful for the sake of both Ginny and herself.

The already long walk to the room seemed to triple in distance as the two girls followed the small crowd to their class.

"I wonder what we'll be learning today," Ginny said miserably sinking into her seat.

Nora copied her. "Probably how to become a Death Eater."

Ginny cast a frightened glance at her friend and then around them, but no one had heard. Lucy Wren sat down behind them looking extra pale.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" Ginny asked.

"I j-just heard that Sn-_Headmaster _Snape just refused to upgrade Professor Carrow's office to a better spot and he's absolutely _furious_. I just came from the third hall, I had forgotten something in my room, and after Snape told him no, he-he…"

But Ginny and Nora never got to hear what Professor Carrow did because that moment, the door to the office flew open as if on cue. The Death Eater walked slowly to his desk at the front of the room with a wide, sickening smile on his face, as if he had just eaten something rotten and enjoyed it.

Ginny gripped the side of her desk, willing her limbs to stop shaking. Even though McGonagall had told her to be brave, to not show him any fear, it was proving incredibly difficult. Not only did she have to look into the eyes of her torturer, she had to interact with him on a daily basis.

Each day it got harder to control her emotions and each day he seemed to notice more.

"Good morning, kiddies," he said in his stick sweet voice which caused Ginny's stomach to roll. "Today we are going to be learning basic attack moves."

Ginny felt the class perk up a bit. This was relatively normal Defense work for sixth years, but behind her, Lucy trembled.

Professor Carrow noticed as well and his smile grew wider. He turned and wrote in large letters on the blackboard: INTRACALAMIT and CONFRINGO.

The classes hope died as soon as their fake teacher finished writing. Not only were these not basic spells, but they were not ones that respectable wizards used on one another, especially not in a classroom setting.

"Well? Come on, we don't have all day. We'll begin with the first spell. I'll need a pair, two volunteers…" His beady eyes fell on Ginny and Nora who were trying not to meet his gaze. "Ah, perfect," he crooned. "Get up here!" His sharp change in his tone of voice caused Ginny and Nora to jump out of their seats and walk stiffly to the front of the classroom.

The two girls turned and looked at each other on opposite ends of the room.

"Perfect," came Professor Carrow's evil voice. "Now as we _all _know, Intracalamit is a spell that produces deadly internal damage to the person it is unleashed upon." He giggled unpleasantly.

"And in this instance the winner takes all so," he paused leering at the two girls. "You each better not get hit. But," he cried and then lowered his voice. "If you try not to hit the other on purpose, I will be forced to take…_drastic _measures." He waddled over to Ginny. "You remember what that was like my dear, don't you?"

Ginny tried to stick out her chin stubbornly but her shaking body gave her away. His scent filled her nose, brining her back to that summer night so long ago. She looked in his eyes and hidden in the deep pools was the pain of a thousand cicadas chewing her skin, a hundred nails burrowing under her skin… Ginny thought she would pass out.

Cackling, he walked away from her and around the other side of his desk.

Ginny looked into her friend's eyes and saw that same fire burning in them that she never wanted to see. "Nora?" Ginny whispered, her knees not supporting her body fully, still weak from Professor Carrow's attack on her memory.

Nora gritted her teeth. "I'm sorry Ginny."

"Begin," Professor Carrow commanded.

Ginny frowned. _No, this can't be happening…_

"INTRACALAMIT!"

* * *

Draco was flicking through his obscene amount of extra Charms work when he first heard the screams. Sitting up straighter at his desk Draco listened hard. _Not another one,_ he thought desperately. _It can't be, it's only Monday._

The past two weeks the Hospital wing had been keep busy by the victims of the Carrow's detention punishments. Madame Pomfrey had gotten so overwhelmed that she had moved Draco into a room off the main wing that was usually reserved for her private visitors. It was a tiny room with one window, but it suited Draco just fine.

Although it still felt a bit like he was hiding. It was necessary of course, he knew that it was, it was imperative for both the safety of his person and the Plan that no one at Hogwarts know he was there. But he still felt frustrated by having to stay in a back room.

Another scream ripped through Draco's thoughts bringing him back to the present. Opening his door slightly he was able to see a student being carried on a stretcher by two Gryffindors and led by Professor McGonagall.

Draco's eyes widened in shock. It was Ginny. It was her body that was being carried into the Hospital wing. And she was the one screaming.

She was writhing on the stretcher, her white Hogwarts blouse was stained a dark red, a stain that was growing from the blood that she was vomiting from her mouth.

He gasped, his breath stolen from his chest as he saw her moan in pain, red stuff slowly chugging out her ears and nose.

"What on earth happened!" cried Madame Pomfrey over the racket Ginny was making to Professor McGonagall.

McGonagall looked five times older than Draco had ever seen her. "Amycus," was the word that she chocked out. "He commanded that Moreno and Weasley perform the Intracalamit curse on each other and Moreno hit her first." The witch's voice was hollow.

Draco took a step back, farther into the dark of his room frozen with a cacophony of feelings.

He heard Madame Pomfrey gasp and then run to cupboards. "Set her down, _gently_, if you please, on that bed over by the far corner."

Draco took another step back. That bed was right across from his room. _No,_ he thought, shaking his head slowly. _I don't want to look at this. I don't want to _see _this._

Still, he couldn't help but watch in horror as Ginny was set down on the bed, now silent and unmoving but still the blood trickled out. Little rivers of red cascaded around her body, pooling in places and dripping off in others.

Draco's head felt fuzzy. Did the body really have that much blood in it? _She must be losing a lot and fast_. He frowned and walked back to the door to peek through the crack again. _Where's Madame Pomfrey?_ He strained his eyes but his angle was not good enough to see through.

Professor McGonagall shooed the two students out of the Hospital wing and started to close the hangings on the other beds, as their occupants were starting to look around curiously. Draco could hear her spelling them for silence and knew that they would not be able to hear anything.

He opened his door a bit wider and looked at Ginny in the bed across from his room again. He could hear the steady dripping of blood and the ragged rhythm of her breathing. _Where the fuck is Pomfrey?_

His eyes snapped back to Ginny when her breathing was blocked and she struggled to inhale, spluttering weakly. He wrenched the door open, looking around.

McGonagall was on the other side of the room and Pomfrey was still digging through her shelves, although she had started to turn around. _She'll be too late,_ Draco thought desperately. _Merlin, this is just like at St. Mungo's, Pomfrey is going to kill Ginny._ His crazed mind told him to run and he did.

Draco sprinted the short distance between his doorway and Ginny's bed coming to rest at her side. Calmly he helped her sit up; although he noticed that he was shaking. He tried to call for help but he couldn't even try speaking at the moment so he just yelled wordless sounds.

McGonagall came running but Madame Pomfrey was there first. Wand out she pointed at Ginny's throat and tugged with her arm brining a stream of phlegm-y blood with her, extracting it from Ginny's mouth.

Draco tried not to gag and instead he focused on the way her hair had bits of golden-blonde in it, and the way it had sparkled in the sunlight at St. Mungo's.

Semi-aware of the two witches working on the girl, Draco sank into his memories.

He had thought that she was going to ruin his high, he laughed at his concern, one that seemed so pointless now. _But she wasn't that bad, _Draco thought. _Please don't let her die, she wasn't horrible. I liked spending time with her._ He prayed to an unknown being.

Ginny still wasn't breathing. _Merlin damn it! Please!_ He thought back to last year and almost chocked on his shame. _This is my fault, I know. If I had been stronger, if I had resisted more, then Hogwarts would have never fallen._

Madame Pomfrey was sweating. McGonagall placed a hand over her eyes to re-focus on the task at hand. _Don't stop now, _Draco thought bitterly at the two older witches. _Don't be the same as St. Mungo's._ He looked down at the unconscious Ginny.

_Don't let her go._

He could see out of the corner of his eye McGonagall start to shake her head.

Something clicked.

"No," Draco said in a clear voice, although it was ragged with lack of use and pain. "Don't shake your head, help her!" McGonagall looked at him in shock. He noticed that Madame Pomfrey was doing the same. Why were they wasting time staring at him like that?

"What are you doing? HELP HER!" Draco looked down at the red-head and took a deep breath. "Wake up, Weasley!" He commanded, shaking her slightly. "WAKE UP, GINNY!"

He shook her again, harder, and his fingers slipped on the blood that covered her shoulders and her back slammed against the iron headboard of the bed. Draco stepped back in horror, looking down at the odd looking form of the girl.

Slowly he backed away and Madame Pomfrey took his place by Ginny's side and helped her onto her back.

Draco's eyes were unfocused, but he still couldn't see any sign of her breathing. _What have I done?_ He flinched as the Hospital wing door opened but he didn't look up to see who had entered.

"Theo, everyone's at lunch, no one will notice that we've gone to visit-Draco!" Blaise's voice rang out across the wing.

Draco felt like he was walking on a pitching ship deck, but he kept his eyes trained on Ginny.

Strong hands clasped his shoulders, forcing him back. "Easy now, Draco," came Theo's voice. "We've got you."

The voices and hands were pulling them away from Ginny. That wasn't right, he was responsible for her. For her death…

Draco screamed. "Merlin, mate, calm down," Blaise said. "Calm down-oof!"

Draco had elbowed backward and caught one of the hand's owners in the belly. He felt someone take out a wand and he kicked out, lifting his body off the ground.

"Damn it, Draco, I didn't want to do this…" Theo's voice rang out furiously.

The last thing Draco saw was a flash of red light.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry about the cliffhanger guys!!! lol but now you don't have to wait because OH look!!!! Another chapter!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

**jk rowling owns it all but my crazy ideas  
**

* * *

His head hurt.

Sitting up in his bed, Draco groaned, clutching his temples.

"Serves you right, doesn't it?"

Draco moved his head too fast and groaned again. "Blaise? What are you doing here?" he asked out loud.

"I can't understand you, mate. Write your purple letters if you can." Blaise was lounging in Draco's desk chair.

Draco's shoulders slumped in annoyance and he looked around for his wand. Grabbing it off his bedside table he wrote furiously in the air. HOW CAN YOU MANAGE TO LOOK COMFORTABLE EVERYWHERE YOU SIT?

Blaise smiled, clearly relieved that Draco wasn't yelling at him. "It's a gift and a curse, mate."

Draco didn't bother to smile; he knew it would hurt too much. WHAT HAPPENED?

"You know," Blaise said, smirking. "You're asking that question an awful lot lately. It's starting to get on my nerves." The boy ducked as Draco threw a book at him. "Okay, okay, relax. After you freaked out about saving Weasley's life, Theo stunned you."

Draco blinked.

His door opened and Theo walked in. "Merlin, Blaise, you have a talent for storytelling, has anyone ever told you that?"

He looked thoughtful. "Come to think of it, no."

YOU'RE A WANKER.

Blaise brightened. "Now that I have heard before."

Theo sighed and turned toward Draco after gently closing the door.

I SAVED HER LIFE? Draco wrote in shaky lettering.

Theo sighed again and nodded. "Madame Pomfrey claims that it's the combination of her trying to shock her heart and you letting her hit the headboard that got her going again."

Draco's wand arm dropped to his side in disbelief. "I know, right?" Blaise said. Draco shot him a look.

WHAT WERE YOU TOO DOING IN THE HOSPITAL WING?

"Visiting you, stupid," Theo said. "What do you think we're friends for?"

"Yeah," Blaise added. "We actually like you."

Draco managed a short chuckle without much amusement. AND WEASLEY? _Merlin, I almost wrote Ginny._

Draco saw the look Blaise and Theo shot each other and he paled. "She's fine," Theo said, relaxing his body onto the door. "No lasting effects, and besides the weakness now, she's going to be fine."

THEN WHAT WAS THAT LOOK FOR?

Blaise had an odd expression on his face. "Do you have something you want to tell us, mate?" he asked after a pause.

NO. Draco was confused. WHY?

"No reason," Theo said harshly, looking daggers at Blaise. Silence descended upon the three as Draco surveyed his friends who looked extremely uncomfortable. Theo finally broke the quiet.

"How does your head feel? Madame Pomfrey said I didn't need to make my stunning spell _quite _so strong…"

YOU STUNNED ME? Draco raised his eyebrows. THANKS FOR THE HEADACHE.

"Well you were going all crazy like," Blaise said, looking like he was trying to keep a laugh in. "Screaming and yelling like it was your job. Why were you acting like that anyway?" Blaise looked curious and Draco could see Theo stiffen in interest out of the corner of his eye.

Draco looked away. "I thought she was dead." He said quietly, knowing that they couldn't understand him.

"What?" Blaise asked.

Draco kept looking at the wrinkles in his sheets until Theo sighed. "Fine, don't tell us, but next time I won't hesitate to stun you. I'll do it _before _you elbow Blaise in the stomach."

Draco looked up into Blaise's smile. "Thanks for that by the way, I'll have a nice bruise."

I'M NOT SORRY. YOU'LL PLAY IT UP FOR SOME GIRL OR SOMETHING. Draco wrote with a grin. I BASICALLY HELPED YOU.

Blaise looked misty-eyed. "True…" he trailed off with a smirk.

Draco hesitated to write the next thing. CAN I, he paused in his action, feeling nervous. _Oh this is stupid, _he told himself. CAN I SEE HER? YOU KNOW TO MAKE SURE SHE'S ALRIGHT AND WHAT?

Blaise and Theo had given each other a look again. Draco narrowed his eyes; it was almost a _knowing _look.

"Yes," Blaise said finally. "You can see her." He got up slowly and crossed over to the door where Theo was standing, his hand on the knob.

"We'll see you later, Draco," Theo said, slowly as if he was waiting for something.

WHAT IS WITH YOU TWO TODAY?

Theo shrugged. "Nothing. Remember don't let anyone see you." And with that, Draco's friends left him.

Staring down at his hands in his lap, Draco waited until he could hear the distant closing of the Hospital wing door before he moved. _No need to give them reason to tease me,_ Draco thought, getting out of bed. _Although, _he frowned. _They have been quiet on the whole Ginny tutoring me thing._

Peeking out to his right from his doorway, Draco saw that the hangings on the other Hospital wing occupants were still shut and charmed for privacy but his brain stopped thinking as soon as he stepped out of his room and saw her on the hospital bed.

Ginny's hair was in a low side ponytail with a braid across her hairline. Clearly Madame Pomfrey had been bored and wanted it out of the way. Draco hesitated. She looked so damn fragile and different from the girl who had been by his side helping him with Charms that past Thursday.

Then Draco realized the difference; there was no blush in her cheeks. The usual golden-pink flush of life seemed to have vacated from her face and it brought anger to a boil in his blood.

He was standing there, looking like an idiot with his own blush to his cheeks and his fists balled at his sides when Madame Pomfrey came out of the office.

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, you're awake. How's your head?" She bustled past him, clearly not worried too much and stopped at Ginny's side. Draco watched as the healer tipped Ginny's head forward so the girl could sip at a potion. Most of it dribbled down her chin.

Draco waited until the healer looked around before writing in the air. IS SHE GOING TO BE OKAY? He stared at Madame Pomfrey who was looking at him like he had three heads. WHAT?

"Why are you using your wand?" the witch asked him slowly.

Draco frowned. Was this really the time? BECAUSE I CAN'T TALK AS FAST AS I WRITE. Draco was getting tired of writing this well-worn excuse out for everyone. Multiple times in Madame Pomfrey's case.

She continued to stare at him. "Right, I forgot, silly me," she said after a long while. Turning her attention back to Ginny the witch added; "Yes, she'll be fine, although most likely a bit groggy for the next week. She should be coming around in a few minutes as a result of the potion I just gave her. Will you stick around to see her?"

Draco shot the woman a look. WHERE ELSE WOULD I GO?

"Right," Madame Pomfrey answered, confused. "I'll leave you two then. Please call if you need anything." The witch went back to her quarters but not until she had given Draco one last look of bewilderment.

Draco gave the door that closed on the woman an odd look before he whipped his head around to the sound of Ginny stirring.

* * *

Ginny blinked open her eyes to a fuzzy vision of purple letters.

YOU'RE SO STUPID! They spelled out.

Frowning, Ginny thought it was odd. She didn't feel stupid, just really tired. She blinked again and this time she saw a blonde bob pacing back and forth in front of her. Smiling she reached out to touch it.

"The light has escaped," Ginny mumbled, her fingers stretching out to touch the moving blob. "Someone needs to put it back."

The blob stopped moving. The purple letters changed and Ginny was distracted from her previous task of putting back the light.

I AM NOT A LIGHT.

_Well of course it would never admit it_, Ginny thought reasonably. Then she blinked again bringing her world back into correct focus.

Draco Malfoy was standing at the foot of her bed looking livid. HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID? He wrote in the air. I MEAN HONESTLY, LETTING SOMEONE GET THE BETTER OF YOU WITH A CURSE? I THOUGHT YOU WERE A COMPETENT WITCH; AFTER ALL YOU ARE TUTORING ME.

Ginny just frowned, her mind confused. "What are you talking-" Nora. The duel in Defense. Carrow. Nora. "About." Ginny finished, her eyes widening and her skin paling.

Draco strode forward. WHAT? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOU LOOK PALE.

Ginny looked up at him. "I'm always pale."

He managed a grin. PALER. DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED?

The red-head was quiet for a moment then she nodded. "Yes." She looked away from Draco, her eyes un-focusing somewhere around her feet. She remembered and trembled with the thought.

But she remembered something else. "You're voice," Ginny said suddenly looking up into his grey eyes. Her heart flopped and she looked quickly away. His dumb eyes always made her heart do that. _It must be the color, _Ginny made an excuse to herself. "I remember your voice."

It was Draco's turn to pale. I CAN'T TALK, YOU KNOW THAT.

"Yes you can, sort of."

WELL, NOT WELL.

Ginny tapped a finger on her bottom lip, thinking. "No, but I remember you yelling, and you weren't stuttering either." She looked up at him expectantly. "That's really good, isn't it? I mean, no stuttering at all. Maybe you could start going to classes and come back to school!"

She paused, taken back by the look that had crossed over his face. "What is it?" He had looked…happy…for a moment, like he was admiring her, but it was quickly hidden when she had mentioned school.

YOU SHOULD BE MORE TIRED.

"I am, I feel exhausted like I'm drained or something, but still the prospect of you speaking again is very exciting. I mean, don't you think?" The slight sneer on his face made Ginny feel stupid and embarrassed.

Draco turned away from her and slowly walked back to his room, trailing purple letters behind him. I'M GLAD YOU'RE FEELING BETTER. His door slammed shut.

"Fine," Ginny said to the door quietly. She lay back down, already tired. _Someone should really owl my parents, _she thought, beginning to drift off. She thought back to the look Draco had given her when she had first started talking.

_Admiring me,_ Ginny scoffed. _Like he would do something like that. I'm clearly very tired._

As she settled down farther into her pillows she felt herself smile. _It would be nice though…to be admired…_

_

* * *

_**Yea...it would...especially by Draco. *spaz***


	14. Chapter 14

**I TOLD you there would be another update! :)**

**Although this one isn't really a fat chapter...more like a regular chapter that went on a diet...hmm...**

**MORE SOON**

**jk rowling owns it all**

* * *

Draco paced in his room. _I can't believe I lost my temper at her, _he thought running a hand through his hair. _I never lose control like that._

He stopped at his window and looked out over Hogwarts grounds. _I need her to help me not to hate me…_

Draco knew that he had made progress with the girl trusting him and was glad of it, purely for the result that she was helping him with his schoolwork. Or at least that's what he told himself.

He had later hoped that Ginny would eventually help him with his talking…problems, but now he wasn't so sure.

_I have to talk to her,_ he thought again. _I have to apologize._ Something deep inside his mind wondered if it was because he just wanted someone to talk to. He shook the thought away.

Opening his door, Draco looked across the wing to a sleeping Ginny. He watched how her hair fanned out beside her, small pieces by her mouth moving with the rhythm of her breath… He was relieved to see that some color was slowly brushing back onto her cheeks, a light kiss of pink that he himself wanted to kiss away…

Draco gripped the door frame for support. _I am just fascinated with her because she rescued me. Yes, that it, it's only because she save my life and I must have some sort of residual fascination with her._

He turned and walked back into his room. Slamming the door he thought that it wouldn't make sense for him to wake her up now, she needed her rest. He would check back in on her later. Or maybe in five minutes…

* * *

Across the room Ginny wasn't resting. She was frowning.

She had watched, through slit eyes, Draco watching her. _Strange, _she thought. _What's he playing at?_

Still…that look on his face again…

_It was nothing, _Ginny told herself firmly. She concentrated instead on sitting up and reaching over for the food Madame Pomfrey had left her. _It seems as if this year I am constantly in the hospital._

It was then that the memories of why she was there hit her. Curling over onto her side she hugged herself in remembered fear and pain, choking as she tried to keep her tears quiet.

_Why wasn't I able to counter the curse fast enough? _She asked herself miserably. Echoing the words of her mother earlier that summer Ginny thought; _I can't do anything right._ _Just like what Dr-Malfoy said…I thought I was a competent witch too._

As she thought about him, the despair in her heart lessened, and Ginny felt herself relaxing. Confused she wanted to get out of bed. Sitting up and whipping off the covers Ginny revealed her naked body and the enormous bruise that now occupied most of her skin. Looking down at her torso openmouthed with shock, Ginny forgot all about a blonde student and the despair settled back in.

_What happened to me?_ She wiped her eyes, trying desperately to control herself. _I don't understand, why would she do this to me?_

Ginny slowly brought her arm up and gently alighted one of her fingers in the center of the bruise. Pressing down lightly, Ginny was met with a shooting pain that throbbed on long after her finger was retracted.

Someone gasped.

Ginny jerked her head up and her stomach almost heaved with pain and surprise.

Draco Malfoy was staring at her.

Her brain wasn't working properly, but somewhere in the back it told her that she wasn't wearing any clothes.

"Get out!" Ginny shrieked, disregarding the fact that someone might hear her. "What the fuck are you doing? GET OUT!" She grabbed for the covers as Madame Pomfrey came running.

"Good Merlin, what is it dear?" Madame Pomfrey already had a bottle of calming solution in her hands and was busy trying to force Ginny to lie back down without hurting her and pouring the syrup onto a spoon at the same time. "Merlin child, stay still!" the school healer commanded.

Forcing the spoon of the dark liquid down Ginny's throat, Madame Pomfrey then pushed on Ginny's shoulders and the girl finally relented and settled back down onto her pillows.

She hadn't seen Draco shut his door in quiet shame.

* * *

Ginny woke up later that night after the calming solution had worn off and felt miserable. Her entire body ached and she was shivering even with the cotton shift Madame Pomfrey had given her. On top of all that she was pretty sure Draco Malfoy had seen her naked.

Ginny almost threw up.

She hated her body as it was, and now with this huge bruise covering most of it, she _knew_ for a fact that it was ugly. To think that someone had seen it…Ginny closed her eyes and hoped that the embarrassment would eventually subside.

It didn't.

All she kept thinking about was a pair of stone grey eyes looking at her from across the room. It was unnerving, but at the same time…oddly comforting.

_No, not that, it couldn't be…_ Ginny thought rapidly, desperately searching her mind for another reason, for something else that would be the cause of those moments.

But there wasn't.

Ginny ground her teeth. How else could she explain the feelings of calm when she should have been freaking out? Burying her head in her hands she felt her cheeks get warm. _Blushing when no one's even around to see it, great Ginny, _the girl thought wryly.

But there was no getting around it: She felt better when Draco was around.

"Fuck," Ginny said out loud.

"Now, Ginny," a voice said to the side of Ginny's bed. "Watch your language."

Ginny looked into a pair of dark eyes and growled. "What the fuck are you doing here, Nora?"

Nora shook her head. "Now what did I say about your language?" The girl tried to laugh.

"I said; what are you doing here?" Ginny repeated, scared in spite of herself, but she stuck out her chin anyway. Her stomach throbbed.

"I wanted to check on you and-"

"Save the bullshit for someone else, Nora." Ginny watched the girl warily from her bed.

Nora moved to the foot of Ginny's bed. "Ginny, I'm sorry, alright? What do you want me to say?"

"For starters you can call me Weasley. Only my friends call me Ginny."

Nora rolled her eyes. "Oh that's ridiculous. Are you really going to be that way?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know, are you still going to attack me?"

"I had to, Ginny! You heard what he was going to do us if we didn't try." Nora's voice had a whine to it and it reminded Ginny of a three year old.

"It's Weasley, Moreno. Get it through your thick skull." Ginny's arms were crossed. "And you could have thought of something else to do to me, or you could have lessened the intensity, you idiot. Where's your Gryffindor bravery?"

At that moment, Ginny saw a shadow pass over the other girl's face. "I guess I don't have it anymore," Nora said quietly.

"Guess not," Ginny said. "So why don't you leave now and stop pretending to be my friend because we all know that if you had really wanted to see if I was alright, you would have come a lot sooner."

Nora looked shamefully down at her shoes. "He made me do it," she whispered. "I _had_ to."

"No, Moreno, you really didn't. Please leave now, you're making me sick." Ginny said with finality. She watched, triumphant, as Nora turned to leave.

The door across from Ginny's bed opened again and her happiness she had felt at telling Nora off evaporated. "No," Ginny whispered. "Don't come out now."

She watched almost in slow-motion as Nora turned to see what had caused Ginny to whisper and the girl's eyes widened with fire when she saw Draco opening the door.

When he saw that Nora was looking at him, he quickly shut his door but Ginny knew that the damage was done. "Nora, I—you didn't see anything, right?"

Nora took a long time to turn around. When she finally did, Ginny saw that the fire was contained but her eyes had sparks behind them. "Its Moreno now, remember?" The girl gave Ginny a nasty smile, then turned and left.

* * *

**THAT was in response to everyone hating Nora, including me. lololol wow she's ALMOST as bad as Harry (vomits)**


	15. Chapter 15

**I'M SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG!!!!! you can blame Shealily for distracting me**

**oh and the beach**

**and tanning**

**and swimming**

**:)**

**oh! p.s. see if you can spot the shout out to Battlestar Galactica. lol (it's soooooo hard to find)  
**

**jk rowling owns everything but my insane life  
**

* * *

Draco was still standing close to the other side of the door, his hand on the knob. _Shit,_ he thought. That girl had seen him and she looked way too pleased that she had.

_Shit, _he thought again, starting to pace away from the door. _That girl and Ginny seemed to know each other, though so maybe I don't have to worry about anything…_

He stopped thinking when his door banged open and revealed a heaving, sweating Ginny Weasley holding onto the handle. He leapt away from the sight, startled. He swore and knew it came out as gibberish to Ginny's ears.

"Good one," she panted sarcastically, still supporting her weight on the door part. "I'll have to remember that new swear. 'Frack' was it?"

Draco ignored her insult to his handicap and picked up his wand. I'M SORRY. He wrote quickly in the air. I DIDN'T MEAN FOR ANY OF THIS TO HAPPEN. He watched as she moved into his room, clearly straining with the effort. He didn't want to touch her not after what he had seen on her body. He knew for certain that he would probably hurt her.

Ginny tried to laugh but it sounded more like she was wheezing. "Isn't that what they all say? But then something always happens anyway!" She had made it to his bed and sank into it, looking weak but at the same time glaring daggers at him.

Draco tried again. I'M SERIOUS. THE FIRST TIME I CHECKED ON YOU, YOU WERE SLEEPING. THEN, Draco paused to look away embarrassed. YOU WEREN'T. AND THEN I WAS JUST TRYING TO APOLOGIZE FOR SEEING YOU LIKE THAT. He couldn't think of anything else to say. He watched as the letters began to dissolve in the air and realized that they hadn't sounded that stupid when they were in his head.

But Ginny was no longer glaring at him. "You came to c-check on me?" she asked, sounding apprehensive. Draco blinked at her, confused.

"Yuh-sss," he said. Was it just him or had she brightened a bit? _She does look so good when she smiles, _Draco thought. _I haven't seen her smile in a long time…_

"Well, you shouldn't have," Ginny was saying and it shook Draco out of his reverie. "I don't trust that girl and I know that she's up to something…" Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment before muttering. "I wish I hadn't told her about you…"

Draco's head jerked and something in side him clenched. Never mind that she was hurt, Draco strode right up to Ginny in full fury.

"You _told _her? About me?" Draco roared at Ginny, knowing full well she couldn't understand him. For all Draco knew it could have come out as "Three _salads_ glorious? Zebra at?" but he really didn't give a damn he was too furious.

"And to think," he continued to spit out at the alarmed looking red-head who couldn't understand him. "Just think that I _trusted _you! That I actually started _liking _you…!" Draco trailed off when he saw that she had stiffened. "W-wuh-ut?" he asked her deliberately trying to speak out loud this time.

Ginny's eyes were wide. "You spoke."

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed.

"No not the what, you said…" she blushed. "Something else."

He froze and narrowed his eyes. "Wuh-ut?" he repeated with less difficulty.

The girl blushed and shook her head. "Nothing."

There was silence in the room for a moment, each trying to look at anything but the other. Ginny broke the silence first. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. Draco looked at her sharply but she continued. "I'm sorry I told Moreno but I needed to. I needed to get it off my chest."

Draco could feel himself calming in spite of his anger. Annoyed that he couldn't stay mad he turned away from the girl. Perhaps if he didn't look at her the overwhelming desire to kiss her would go away.

He started at that thought. _Kiss her?_ He asked himself incredulously. _I thought I was angry at her._ He ran a hand through his hair and sighed at his confusion.

_Kiss her, _he said to himself. Admitting it felt good. He felt a thrill of anticipation as he prepared to do something reckless.

"I want to kiss you," he said out loud, a jolt of adrenaline passing through him as he spoke out loud confident that she couldn't hear him.

But he heard a gasp from behind him. "You _what?_" Ginny's voice came from behind him. He turned quickly his heart pounding. "I knew you could speak," Ginny said recovering first. "B-but I don't think you meant what you just said." She sounded scared.

Draco frowned. _No, she couldn't…this couldn't be happening._ His brain seemed to have slowed down to a dreary chug as he fought through his embarrassment to think. _I can't speak so she didn't hear me…_

"I can't speak," he said out loud experimentally.

His heart lightened when Ginny frowned. "What?"

Draco confidently took out his wand. I CAN'T SPEAK. THAT'S WHAT I SAID.

Ginny shook her head, her cheeks coloring even in her weakened state. "N-no, you did and you said…you said…" she couldn't finish her sentence.

WHAT? Draco wrote as he took a step towards her. I SAID WHAT? He liked the way he felt. Something was building in his stomach. Anticipation? _Of what? _He asked himself, trying to scoff away his feelings.

She looked up at him and then quickly away and his stomach flipped over. He took another step towards her position on his bed as she tried again.

"You said…Merlin _I'm _not going to say it," she fiddled with a strand of her hair.

SAY IT. He wrote. Well he certainly wasn't going to repeat himself. Even if he had spoken out loud which was impossible, he wasn't going to embarrass himself again.

Ginny stopped playing with her hair and looked defiantly up at him once more. "K-kiss me. Which is absolutely ridiculous because you hate me an-and I hate you and these things don't just _happen_ and I have to go." Ginny had somehow mustered up the strength to stand up which impressed Draco. He was close enough to her now to see the effort it took show on her face.

THEN WHY DON'T YOU LEAVE? He wrote with a smirk, something he still managed even if his head was still fuzzy from her closeness. She frowned at this and took a step towards the door causing her unsteady body to wobble.

Draco thrust out his arm to steady her and he stepped closer to her, easily closing the gap between their two bodies. With a sharp intake of her breath, Draco knew Ginny was feeling the same explosive feelings he was.

_We can just try it, _he thought to himself, searching her eyes wildly. _We can just try it once ant then I can get over this fascination with this girl._

Ginny's eyelids fluttered and Draco almost groaned. He hoped to Merlin that it would only take one kiss to forget his attraction.

"Malfoy…" Ginny mumbled in a low voice and turning her brown eyes up to meet his. "Don't…we shouldn't…we can't…"

Draco didn't care. He needed this kiss to be over with. He needed to see what it felt like so he could start forgetting about it and move on. Merlin, she had no idea how much he needed this kiss.

He pressed his lips to hers.

Draco barely felt the warmth of her soft mouth against his before she jerked her head away. "I said we can't," Ginny snapped, her face flushed a deep pink. He liked the feeling of her hands against his chest but not when they were pushing his body away.

He sighed heavily and let her go. He backed away letting her support herself on one of his bed posts.

"Malfoy…" Ginny said again, softer than before. Her voice just reminded Draco of how stupid he just was. He turned his back to her, embarrassed that she didn't want him as much as he wanted her and angry that his feelings hadn't gone away, that he still wanted to kiss her.

LEAVE, WEASEL. He wrote angrily enjoying her shocked expression. CLEARLY YOU ARE A SLUT, COMING ONTO ME LIKE THAT. GET OUT OF MY SIGHT.

Ginny looked sad for a moment then she set her jaw. "Get over yourself, Malfoy. You were the one that kissed me." She turned and began to walk slowly towards the door.

Draco didn't want to see her go so he started up the argument again. AND I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU TOLD MORENO ABOUT ME, YOU STUPID COW! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE JUST DONE? YOU'VE RISKED EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!

Ginny turned her body back towards his to get a better angle. He saw that all traces of sadness had vanished. "You've got to be kidding," she pretended to laugh. "This is what this was about? What was that a _test?_"

Draco squinted at her. NO. WHY WOULD IT BE A TEST? WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF TEST WOULD THAT BE?

"I don't know, Malfoy," Ginny said louder, sounding exasperated. "You're the evil Slytherin, not me."

Draco scoffed. OH RIGHT, WE'RE ALL EVIL IS THAT IT?

"Yes, that is it! Once again leap to the conclusion that it is all about you!" Ginny was shouting now, but she didn't care. "Don't forget that you're the one who saw me…who saw me naked! How do you think that made me feel?"

Draco was silent for a moment. _Why is she thinking about that? Is this why she's angry?_ _Merlin this would be so much easier if I could speak!_ He sighed and rubbed his eyes. I AM SORRY FOR THAT. He wrote, calmer now. I REALLY DIDN'T MEAN FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

"Well, it did!" Ginny snapped lamely. Draco looked at her and wondered if she'd start crying but then he realized proudly that she wasn't a simpering idiot like most girls. _Although, _he thought bitterly._ Most girls don't betray you._ But he was cut off with Ginny's voice.

"And I'm sorry," she was saying in a quieter tone, moving back toward the bed post to support her weight again. "I'm really sorry about Nora. I swear I didn't tell her on purpose."

Draco nodded. That was all he could do. Anger should have been still smoldering deep inside his belly but instead a curious sort of calm was there, like he was taking this in stride. It was like he _couldn't _be angry at her.

IT'S FINE. Draco found himself writing. I'LL DEAL WITH IT. BUT WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HER? WILL SHE TELL ANYONE?

Ginny seemed to calm down as he did and he was grateful for it. "She didn't tell anyone when I first told her," Ginny began. "But I suspect she was waiting for something more like proof that I was telling the truth."

LIKE SHE HAD TO SEE ME BEFORE SHE TOLD ANYONE?

Ginny grimaced. "Yes, like that." Ginny's eyes narrowed and Draco braced himself. "Wait, what did I ruin? What do you mean you'll 'deal with it'?"

Draco decided that this would be tricky. He wanted so much to tell her, to get it off his chest, just like she had said about telling that Moreno girl, but he couldn't. _Not yet anyway,_ he told himself. Finally he wrote in the air, I'M ALLOWED MY SECRETS.

Ginny grinned and his heart squeezed. "Alright, super-secret Auror Malfoy," she teased. "I won't ask you again."

He grinned back.

Merlin he liked her smile.

* * *

Ginny realized that she was still smiling at him after too long. She broke eye contact thinking embarrassingly how this was just like before.

_Well I can't help staring,_ she thought to herself in order to feel better about it. _He _is _very good-looking after all._

"I-I guess I'll go back to bed, you know, to rest up and all," she said sounding like and idiot.

He merely nodded.

Transferring her weight from the bedpost to her feet, the red-head started toward the door. The second step she took sent pain searing up her side and deep into her injured belly, causing her leg to falter in supporting her.

She didn't even have time to fall before she felt Draco's body catch her and steady her.

Flushing, Ginny looked up into his eyes as she leaned against him. Ignoring the flopping her in stomach she smiled wryly. "You know, I don't usually like people helping me."

Draco grinned back, although with more humor laced into the smile. I'VE NOTICED. IT'S PART OF THE GRYFFINDOR FLAW. MARTYRDOM AND ALL THAT.

Ginny pretended to be greatly offended. "Me? Nobel? No, I'm just a poor innocent girl that was tricked into helping this really stupid Slytherin which has landed me in the hospital wing."

Draco laughed causing Ginny's heart to pound. The sound was deep, rich and with a playfulness that caused Ginny to smile wider. She couldn't remember having heard him laugh this way before. She had only heard him cackle cruelly at someone he was bullying or after he had insulted someone, but this…this was a beautiful sound.

Ginny blushed at both her ridiculous thoughts and the resonating laugh of Draco's and knew he saw it as he helped her back into her hospital bed.

"Thanks," she said, looking at the hands and not knowing what else to say. She remembered the kiss and flushed red anew and wondered if she should say something. "Listen, Draco…"

She tried to swallow the word as she said it, but it was too late. His head jerked up and she saw his wide eyes full of an emotion she could not recognize. "I'm sorry," she tried to amend quickly. "I didn't mean to...I'm sorry if I offended you…"

Ginny stopped her stuttering apologies as soon as she realized that he no longer looked shocked, but instead he was laughing again. She frowned. "What?" she asked put out. "I didn't say anything funny."

But Draco just shook his head as he pulled out his wand. NO, NOTHING LIKE THAT. SEE YOU LATER, WEASLEY.

Draco left a bewildered looking Ginny on her bed as she watched him close the door to his private chambers with a soft snap. _What the hell was that all about?_ She asked herself.

She would never have guessed that he only laughed, _truly _laughed, when he was really happy.

* * *

**teh cute**

**anyway...review!!! **

**and thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has been reviewing**

**i love seeing your smiling happy comments!!!  
**


	16. Chapter 16

**So! Since I am such a terrible author for keeping you all waiting this long....HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER!!!!!!!**

**and this time its from Theo and Blaise's point of view.**

**they were just screaming for a chapter of their own so I had to give it to them**

**lol**

**jk rowling owns everything  
**

* * *

"So how are we doing?"

Theo was interrupted for the third time this paragraph by Blaise's voice. The dark-haired boy glared across the top of his Potions book at his friend. Sitting in the dim green light of the dark Slytherin common room, the two boys were the only ones left in the space this late at night.

Even so, Theo looked around cautiously before berating his friend. "Blaise, you _know _you shouldn't talk about this kind of stuff here. We don't know who could be listening." He put a marker in his book and closed in with a resignation to the conversation he knew to be inevitable.

As if on cue, Blaise rolled his eyes. "Like anyone is here at this hour and you know it." The tall boy grinned and leaned back in his chair across from Theo and put his feet up on the table, wrinkling a page in a reference book.

"Sure," Theo said, hurriedly removing Blaises' foot from the book and smoothing the page before closing it carefully. "Just because you can't see anyone means that there is no one there."

Blaise chuckled. "You really are annoying when it comes to all this secrecy stuff."

"Well I have to be don't I?" Theo asked, annoyed that his Potions reading was definitely going to be postponed until the next day. "With you blundering around doing enough damage for the both of us."

Blaise frowned at that, the first serious look passing over his face. "Now, Theo, you know as well as I that I wouldn't go shooting my mouth off just because I can."

Theo narrowed his eyes and considered his friend before relenting. "Alright I suppose we can talk about this now. I do have secrecy spells set up around this table."

Blaise allowed his weight to thump the chair back onto all fours. "All this time you had spells and you still yelled at me?" He looked shocked and Theo tried not to smile. "What is it then? Do you _enjoy_ telling people off or something?"

"I wasn't yelling at you and yes sometimes, especially if it's you," Theo answered with mischief dancing in his eyes.

"Arse," Blaise muttered, crossing his arms but tipping his chair back to its original position.

Theo pulled out a piece of paper from his bag. Tapping it once with his wand spidery veins of black ink appeared outlining a web diagram with names. "So," he started looking up expectantly at Blaise. "Where are you with the Lovegood girl?"

"Good so far," Blaise answered taking on of Theo's essays from between a book and looking at it distractedly. "She seems to trust me so far and so do Susan Bones and Terry Boot. None of the Gryffindors will let me come near them yet except for the Patil twins. The one in Ravenclaw has a bit more sense to her but they still both think I'm incredibly fit."

Theo snorted. "Don't we all."

Blaise raised his eyebrows. "Well if you all don't then you all should." He quieted with the look on Theo's face as the boy looked down the list.

"We need those Gryffindors," Theo said slowly, running his finger across the web of ink on the parchment.

"Yea," agreed Blaise. "Especially because I'm not getting anywhere with Smith. You know that Hufflepuff with the Slytherin disposition? He just looks at me funny whenever I come near."

"Alright, well what about our little Slytherin friends?"

Blaise laughed. "You mean the younger ones who haven't already been bewitched by Pansy and Co.? They're doing fine."

"Seriously, Blaise. We need them too." Theo looked stonily at his friend.

"Seriously, Theo, I've got them. We already have Malcom Baddock, Graham Pritchard, Alex Byrd, Hayley Schott, Anna Terrence, Stephen Banner, the Dell twins and maybe Millicent Bulstrode. She's still deciding but won't talk. And surprisingly we also have the two Greengrass girls. Though it took a lot for Daphne to trust me."

"Hmm," was all Theo said as he focused silently on the list for a moment. "What about Goldstein?"

Blaise placed the essay back down on the desk. "You misspelled that and Anthony? The Ravenclaw? I dunno about him. He's a maybe for now."

"Right," Theo said taking the essay and correcting the mistake before pulling the parchment with the web of names back to the forefront of his attention. "Well when Draco gets Ginny the rest of the Gryffindors will follow." Theo said.

"You hope," Blaise amended.

Theo sighed and tapped the paper again to wipe it clean. "Yes I hope alright? What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, mate nothing," Blaise said and then chuckled. "Did you see his face though? When he wanted to see if she was alright? I mean come on, it's sickening."

Theo managed a weak smile as he organized his school books. "Yes I saw it; he's never been one for subtlety when it comes to his true feelings. Hopefully we can use his attraction to her for our own benefit without having to involve Draco. That would be ideal."

"Yea sure ideal, but will it work?"

"I don't even know if the plan will work. It's like that, Blaise. I really don't know." Theo was finished arranging his books but he sat back in his chair, relaxing like his friend.

Blaise smiled at this. "But it would be nice, wouldn't it? Clearing the Slytherin name once and for all?"

"You know it's more than that," Theo said, taking off his sweater and revealing his rumpled button down shirt. "It's to stop the mindless violence and prejudice that is occurring in the name of someone who has…"

"Been damaging lives for too long," Blaise finished for Theo. "Yes I know, I read your pamphlet. But offering our help to Potter's stupid club? And getting them to _trust _us? It's a lot even for a simple minded Gryffindor."

"You forget," Theo said with a mocking smirk. "Who tutors our friend? It's no Ravenclaw."

"That's different," Blaise grumbled. "It's only because he's practically in l-"

A door clicked in the distance.

Blaise and Theo stiffened. "I guess it's time for us to go to bed," Theo suggested.

"Couldn't agree more, old chap," Blaise said in a mocking tone rising as Theo did.

"Oh shut up."

* * *

**tee hee I love them**


	17. Chapter 17

**all I have to say is...**

**I'M SORRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY**

**actually please don't hit me. I literally could not write because I essentially died. and by died I mean swim season started. sooooooo....**

**still no excuse I know.**

**Blah**

**jk rowling still owns it all  
**

* * *

Ginny was allowed to leave the Hospital wing a few days after Nora had come to visit her. As the red head rose from her bed to leave the wing she cringed, her ribs still hurt. But as Madame Pomfrey walked her down the isle of the Hospital wing Ginny found herself trying to ignore the pain as she twisted her head in order to get a look at the door to Draco's room.

Her lips tingled with the memory of his and she shivered turning back around. "What is it dear?" Madame Pomfrey asked, feeling the shiver. "Are you not feeling alright?"

Ginny answered quickly, "No, Madame Pomfrey, I'm fine, really." Madame Pomfrey was famous for not letting people out of the Hospital wing days past the time they could really leave and Ginny did not want to be one of those people

Madame Pomfrey let her off into the care of Neville to take Ginny back to the tower. "Merlin, it's good to see you, Neville." Ginny told the boy, beaming.

"You too, Ginny," Neville said quietly giving her support across her shoulders.

Ginny frowned. "What's up, Neville?"

Neville jerked and looked at Ginny. "Nothing, Ginny, I'm fine."

"Sure you are," Ginny scoffed. "Just tell me what's wrong. It can't be anything worse than what I've just gone through. Come on, tell me-"

"Ginny, shut up," Neville cut her off. Ginny was astounded. Neville had never yelled at anyone in his entire life before. "We can't talk here," he continued in a whisper. "Just hold on until we get to the common room."

Ginny just started at Neville wide-eyed until they reached the portrait hole and Neville gave the password. "Rebellion," Neville whispered to the Fat Lady who was looking equally as shady as Neville was acting.

"Neville," Ginny started as soon as they climbed into the hole. What on earth is this all about-Oh!" Ginny exhaled her last breath into an exclamation of surprise. The entire Gryffindor common room was standing up facing the portrait hole, waiting for her. "What…?" Ginny tried to ask before Neville plunked her down in her favorite chair.

"Before you ask any more time wasting questions we want to know if you still have your DA galleon?" Neville asked.

"Yes, but-"

"And do you hate Snape and the Carrows more than anything else in the world?"

"Yes, but Nev-"

"Will you or will you not be joining our rebel faction against the Hogwarts invaders?"

"Rebel faction? Merlin Neville, you sound like a muggle loony." Ginny tried to smile but the seriousness of the faces around her made her stop. "What's going on?" Ginny demanded. "This is ridiculous, just tell me what the hell his going on!"

Neville sighed. "After you landed in the Hospital wing, things have gotten worse, a lot worse."

"How much worse can it get?" Ginny asked.

"Look around," Neville said quietly. Ginny looked at her fellow Gryffindors in the firelight and was astonished to see black eyes, cut and bruises staring angrily back at her.

She shook her head. "The Carrows wouldn't resort to physical blows, would they?"

"You're right," said Colin Creevey stepping forward to proudly show off his two black eyes. "They haven't, yet. It's the Slytherins that have done this. Mind you, you should see _their _wounds. We get them just as good as they get us." His younger brother Dennis nodded eagerly at his side with a giant cut on his cheek.

"But the Hospital wing," Ginny said. "I've been in it for at least four days and I haven't seen any of you there."

Neville smiled grimly and a couple of people laughed. "We don't want to give the Slytherins the satisfaction. And besides, there haven't been any really bad injuries yet, nothing that we Gryffindors can't handle."

There was a resounding chorus of 'yeahs' to Neville's statement and Ginny had to stop herself from laughing in amazement. This was not the Neville Ginny knew but she liked it. He wasn't this shy awkward boy anymore. Ginny wondered for a brief moment if Luna realized this fact too.

She realized with a start that everyone was staring at her. "Oh," she said softly. "Er…I'm in?" She posed it as a question, unsure if that was the right thing to say. She jumped with a smile when a loud cheer went up from the crowd.

"Great," Neville said after the crowd began to disperse. "As you are one of the original members, it's going to really help the organization of it all." Ginny tried not to laugh as he grabbed a chair and brought it towards her.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's just that you look so serious." Ginny grinned. But Neville didn't smile back.

"Ginny, this _is _serious. This is an underground operation. You get that, right?"

Ginny frowned, annoyed at feeling stupid. "Yeah, I know that, I've just got a lot on my mind right now, sorry. I really am all for it."

Neville nodded. "I understand. But I haven't even told you the best part. Not everyone knows this, just the original DA members, the ones that are still here anyway…" Neville trailed off looking around.

Ginny was exhausted and looked longingly at the staircase. "What is it?" She egged him on, knowing that's what he would have wanted.

"Some of the Slytherins are in on it too!" Neville whispered excitedly. Ginny opened her mouth in shock. "I know!" Neville continued in hushed tones. "Several of them have contacted us letting us know that they are as anti-Death Eaters as we are and that they want to help in anyway they can."

All traces of exhaustion were gone from Ginny's mind now as it was racing. _So that's what Dra-Malfoy was talking about,_ she thought rapidly. _I knew something was going on._ "Well what have you told them? I think you should say yes."

"We were waiting to see what you would say but that was our decision too. Not all of them want to help, but the ringleaders, Nott and Zabini seem decent enough."

Ginny nodded, smiling to herself. "They are…"

Neville gave her an odd look. "I'm not even going to ask why you know that."

Ginny laughed. "Neville I think that this idea is great. Especially with all the shit going on around here."

"I know…" He trailed off lost in thought and then turned back to her. "I'm so sorry Ginny, where are my manners? You must be exhausted."

Ginny was startled to feel how tired she was again and she nodded. "It has been a long couple of days. I'll see you tomorrow Neville."

Her friend wished her a goodnight and went back to doing homework near the fire. As Ginny passed the fireplace she noticed with a twang in her heart that the Trio's couch was still open, as if in respect for the three that were no longer with them.

Ginny sighed as she opened the door to her dormitory. It was dark and she was grateful for it. But before she could she saw a movement in the corner.

"Merlin, Moreno, you scared me. What the fuck are you doing?" Ginny demanded.

The dark haired girl stepped out of the shadows behind the foot of Ginny's four post bed. "I just wanted to welcome you back, and tell you how happy I am that you are feeling better." Her voice was fake and it made Ginny very nervous.

"Uh…thanks," Ginny said resting her hand on her wand in her back pocket.

Nora walked past her and paused in the doorway so she was silhouetted with a halo of yellow light. Ginny had to squint to make out her features. "Oh," Nora said, like she had really forgotten something. "I also wanted to say that I know what you guys are planning with the _enemy_ and that it's not going to work. Not when everyone finds out that you're hiding a very important secret in the hospital wing. Just food for thought. Goodnight." The door slammed.

Ginny sat down on her bed without bothering to turn on any lights. She felt more alone than she had in a long while.

* * *

Draco felt empty.

It had been a treat to have Ginny around for a while and he wasn't used to her absence even two days later. He smiled at the memory of her calling him by his first name.

And at the memory of their kiss…

Except that it had a bad taste for she had pushed him away. Draco growled in annoyance and sat up from his lying position on his bed.

Just one kiss was supposed to have done it. Just one kiss would have gotten her out of his system. It would have allowed him to bypass this weird curiosity about the girl who rescued him who was also, coincidentally, very pretty.

_Damn it!_

Draco prided himself on being conservative in his emotions and for the Malfoy reserve. Too bad his control had slipped ever since the task given to him last year had started to affect him.

His heart clenched and he lay back down on his bed as if to hide from his own feelings of guilt and shame.

"I have to do _what_?" Draco remembered shouting at his mother and father when they had told him.

His mother looked like she was going to collapse. His father had put his arm around her shoulder. "You heard us, son." Lucius' voice was anything but steady, breaking into creaking whispers at every vowel.

Draco began to shake. "This is your fault," he said pointing a finger at his father. "You know it is."

Narcissa began to cry. "Merlin damn it, Draco I know it is! But there is nothing I can do." Draco had begun to turn away when he heard his father sob. "I am so sorry."

A door shut somewhere in the main hospital wing and Draco's thoughts were rocketed back to the present. He wiped his eyes and took out his word-cards to distract himself. _It wasn't my fault, _he told himself. _I had to do it._

When he had reached the word broom and couldn't do it, he gave up. His head was just too full. He needed to clear his mind, get out of the cell of a room. He stood up and crossed to the window. Wrenching it open he inhaled the night air deeply.

That was it.

He needed to fly.

* * *

Ginny was alone in the common room. It was a Saturday night and everyone was either at a party, making out with someone or in bed. She was the only one cool enough to be doing homework at eleven o'clock.

But she had missed a lot of school she had told everyone who had begged her to go out with them. You need some fun, they had told her but she hadn't relented.

Now she was beginning to regret that decision. Putting her quill down, Ginny gazed out the window into the fresh night air. It had been uncommonly warm today for November and of course that had gotten everyone riled up. Looking out at the moonlight reflected in the lake Ginny felt reckless and she opened the window. She shivered with excitement at the thought that somewhere out there, Harry, Ron and Hermione were having an adventure.

Her heart squeezed with worry for them but she couldn't help feeling jealous as well. She never got to go on adventures. Not since the Chamber and then the Department of Mysteries. They had been terrifying but worth it. She never regretted a single moment.

HEY WEASEL.

Big purple letters popped up right in front of her face causing her to shriek. Draco floated behind them on a broom grinning.

* * *

**please review? even though i've been bad and I haven't updated in a million zillion years**


	18. Chapter 18

**wooooo another update? you see how good I am to you guys?**

**minus the fact that I've be absent for almost a year.**

**DON'T TALK ABOUT IT**

**jk rowling owns it all  
**

* * *

Ginny's mouth hung open as she realized that he was outside. On a broom. With _brown _hair. "What did you do to your hair?" She managed to gasp.

LIKE IT? IT'S MY DISGUISE FOR THE NIGHT.

Ginny let out a strangled laugh. "That…is not going to fool anyone." She finally said.

Draco's grin grew wider. NO ONE WILL EVER GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE.

That's when she finally saw the broom stick. It was his old Nimbus 2001. And he was sitting on it like he belonged there, with all the grace and ease of a practiced flier. Ginny was envious of his obvious technique. She hadn't been flying in ages, and her form was probably way off its mark.

He flew a bit closer and Ginny gave a tiny gasp. In his right hand was another 2001. "What's that for?" She asked, trying to sound like she didn't know.

"Y-oo." He said, relishing in teasing her. WANT TO COME?

"Give me the broom," she demanded, ignoring her manners and poise. She blushed when he laughed but tried to distract him from seeing it by admiring the broom. "Where did you get it?"

I'M RICH.

Ginny looked at him. "Well are you sure you want my Weasley butt to touch it? I wouldn't want to, you know, _offend _your richness."

Draco didn't look apologetic. He shrugged. WHATEVER. YOU COMING OR NOT?

"Yes." Ginny was surprised at how good the broom felt beneath her. She had missed it. Her hands ran slowly up the smooth, polished handle and she sighed. Hovering in the common room she felt its power and her entire body buzzed with excitement.

Draco sighed with impatience.

Ginny rocketed past him, leaving her homework papers fluttering to the ground and Draco far behind. She looped towards the lake and skimmed above its surface loving the feeling of pure freedom.

She heard Draco catch up with her and they raced around the water before she challenged him upward.

They climbed steadily, reaching for the stars they would never touch and exalting in the feeling of the wind streaming past their faces. Leveling out high above the earth Hogwarts was just dark speck below them.

"This is amazing!" Ginny cried and then whooped in joy. Doing a back flip she zoomed around some more and came to rest hanging upside down near Draco. Feeling reckless, she ruffled his hair and then flew out of reach righting her body position. "I don't think this color works for you. Perhaps a vibrant purple to match your letters next time?" She laughed to herself and without waiting to see his reaction, she leaned back onto the broom balancing herself and gazing at the stars.

She heard him chuckled and fly over to her, mimicking her position. They floated there for a while in silence, lying on their brooms, gazing upward.

"It's much better up here isn't it?" Ginny asked. "Away from all the horrible shit down there."

Draco sighed. TELL ME ABOUT IT.

As the purple letters began to fade Ginny turned her head to look at her enemy. "Can I ask you something?"

Draco's eyes were focused on the stars but she could tell he was listening. "Ssuh-re."

"Why are we doing this?" Ginny felt embarrassed so she rushed on. "I mean, I don't like you or anything because you're my sworn enemy but I can still go flying with you at night. Like, what the fuck? And another thing," Ginny was sitting up now. "You can't just go around kissing people like that, alright? And I saved your life and we bonded and that's great but we have these conversations but I can tell in our voices that we don't trust each other because we're so damn careful with what we say and…" She trailed off at the look on his face.

It looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"What?" She asked, mortified.

NOTHING, he wrote. IT'S JUST THAT I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING. BUT THE REASON I ASKED YOU TO FLY WITH ME WAS BECAUSE I HONESTLY DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE TO DO IT WITH. AND I KNEW YOU WOULD BE IN TONIGHT BECAUSE YOU AREN'T COOL ENOUGH TO GO OUT.

Ginny huffed, insulted, but Draco ignored it and sat up.

AND SORRY FOR KISSING YOU, IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I JUST NEEDED TO SEE WHAT IT WAS LIKE. GET YOU OUT OF MY SYSTEM.

"Get me out of your system?" Ginny was just annoyed now. "Oh so did I fulfill that purpose for you? Was I a good experiment?"

Draco sighed. NO. IT'S NOT LIKE THAT. I JUST FELT…INFATUATED BY YOU, PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU SAVED ME AND I THOUGHT THAT THOSE FEELINGS WERE SOMEHOW…SEXUAL.

"Well that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard." Ginny tried not to feel like crying. For a moment she had actually thought someone was attracted to her. Never mind who it was, it was just nice to be liked by someone.

Draco rubbed his forehead. WELL I STILL HATE YOU IF THAT HELPS.

Ginny sniffed haughtily, disguising a sob. "Well it doesn't!" She ignored the shocked look on his face at her shout. "I thought that for two seconds you could actually put aside how much of an asshole you are and be nice to me for the pure reason why everyone else is being nice to each other!"

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Draco looked genuinely perplexed but Ginny didn't care. She kept going. As long as she didn't cry she was okay…

"You know what I'm talking about! Nott and Zabini teaming up with the rest of the school in a rebel faction! Teaming together once and for all, forgetting our differences because damn it people are fucking _dying _out there. It's a bloody _war _Malfoy and we are smack in the middle of it but you can't think of anything but your old feelings. You're such a bastard!"

They sat in stunned silence for a while, their brooms bobbing gently in the breeze.

"I mean, you could at least _pretend_ to be nice instead of this half-hearted insult shit because honestly, it's just getting old." Ginny finished.

He was still quiet for a while and Ginny felt incredibly stupid. Draco sat across from her, the picture of composure just staring at her with these cold grey eyes that she just _knew _were judging her.

HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE PLAN? Draco finally wrote.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Because, contrary to popular Slytherin beliefs, Gryffindor's aren't idiots. And Nott and Zabini aren't exactly super spies. Come on, _Neville _figured it out.

Draco chuckled. WELL I'LL GIVE YOU THAT ONE, BUT DON'T THINK I'M NOT CONSTANTLY REMINDED OF THE WAR, WEASEL. Draco's face turned stony. IT'S THE REASON WHY I'M WRITING IN PURPLE LETTERS EVERYDAY.

"Well that's your fault," Ginny said, sticking out her chin. "You shouldn't have helped the Death Eaters kill Dumbledore." She paused. "Merlin, I can't believe I keep forgetting about that. You're practically a Death Eater yourself-"

Draco rolled up his sleeve, cutting her off. PRACTICALLY? He asked simply.

The Dark Mark stood out so well against the paleness of his skin that Ginny could see the shading on the teeth of the skull. She shuddered as the snake's tongue seemed to flicker in the moonlight.

"I'm sorry…" she said softly.

Draco scoffed. YOU KNOW, I REALLY STILL DON'T WANT YOUR PITY. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE GONE THROUGH AND I DON'T EVER EXPECT YOU TO. SO DON'T COME PREACHING TO ME ABOUT YOUR BIG IDEAS ABOUT THIS WAR. I'VE SEEN MORE OF IT THAN YOU EVER WILL.

"Well maybe if you tell me about it, if you tell everyone, they'll forgive-"

"No." Draco said so forcefully and clearly in his new, scratchy voice that Ginny jumped a little. NO THEY WON'T. AND I'VE ACCEPTED THAT. AND I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST YOU BECAUSE WE ARE DIFFERENT. END OF STORY.

"That's a super philosophy, Malfoy, what the hell are you going to do when you really need help? You can't go to the hospital, you can't go to school and I'm guessing you sure as shit can't show your face in our world. So what are you going to do, live as a muggle? You hate them, so what are you left with?"

Ginny couldn't help herself with that speech. She knew that she should just be ignoring him and fly back down to Hogwarts but this itch, this little thorn in her side with the name Malfoy would not go away. This was a mystery, an enigma that she just _had _to figure out. Deep down she wondered if she could help him. Help him like the people she wanted to help for the rest of her life.

Draco didn't answer her and she knew why. All he really had was her. Sure, Theo and Blaise were his friends but they weren't as connected to him as she was and they both knew it.

That's why she was hundreds of miles above Hogwarts with her sworn enemy. Her eyes met his and she saw an awful loneliness that she knew frightened him.

_We're just kids, _she thought vehemently. _And we have to fight in a bloody _war. _And, _she sighed to herself. _I only have him too._

Ginny lay back down. "Sorry, I guess I don't really know what I'm talking about. But honestly, Malfoy, what are we going to do? The only people at the school we can turn to are our rivals? That's got to be sick."

He let out an ironic, barking laugh. "R-right?" He managed to scratch out. IT'S RIDICULOUS. BUT I'M GOING TO KEEP YOU AROUND A LITTLE BIT LONGER, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOUR ROYAL WEASEL-NESS.

Ginny rolled her eyes but Draco persisted. I WOULD RATHER BE IN THE CONSTANT COMPANY OF SOMEONE I HATE THAN WITH NO ONE AT ALL. Her mouth twisted and he noticed. AND I THINK YOU WOULD BE TOO. AT LEAST I DON'T ATTACK YOU.

Ginny grimaced, thinking of Nora and they lapsed back into silence.

AND I ACTUALLY NEED MORE OF YOUR HELP.

Ginny sat up. "What? How much more can I give you? I am already dead tired every night and-"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. LOOK, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO I UNDERSTAND, I AM ALREADY ASKING A LOT OF YOU.

He didn't write anything for a while. Ginny realized that this was Draco asking for help. Personally. To her face. _This must be really hard for him._ Ginny tried not to giggle as she waited. She was not going to let him off easy on this one.

He finally sat up and looked at her. I NEED YOU- He wiped away those letters and started again. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WOULD HELP ME LEARN HOW TO SPEAK AGAIN.

* * *

**haha**


	19. Chapter 19

**omg another one**

**jk rowling owns it all  
**

* * *

Draco could see that she was shocked. Her face was so easy to read sometimes. _Please say yes_, he willed her.

He had originally been shocked when she had yelled at him but he had sucked up his nerves and asked her anyway.

But now he was regretting that choice.

He arranged his features into an expression of haughty indifference and looked down his nose at her.

She finally had the grace to drop the surprised look off her face and shrug. "I'm sorry; Malfoy, but I really don't have the time. And besides, people would notice that I'm always gone and they would ask questions…"

Draco stiffened his shoulders so they wouldn't slump. He turned his broom away from her and busied himself in adjusting the foot rests. IT'S FINE, he wrote hurriedly. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

At least it sounded like it had been a hard decision for her. "Besides," he heard her add behind him. "We hate each other so at least we won't have to suffer any more than we have to, right?" She laughed half-heartedly, a poor excuse at trying to lighten the situation.

RIGHT, Draco finally relented. He turned around. TIME'S UP.

Ginny looked startled. "Yeah, er…I guess it is."

Draco sneered at her. It made him feel better. "I-I guess I'll see you on Thursday," Ginny added before she dove back down to Hogwarts.

Draco sat on his broom for a moment longer thinking. It probably would have been nice to see her everyday. _Just to ease the loneliness, _he told himself. He swore in gibberish as he realized that she still had his broom.

* * *

Ginny felt horrible.

Draco Malfoy had just asked her for help and she had said no.

Her. An aspiring healer and a Gryffindor. And after they had agreed that it was better to be with someone you hate than alone.

"I'm a fucking retard," Ginny berated herself under her breath, swooping into the common room and shutting the window.

Stepping off the broom she smacked herself on the forehead. "Fuck," she grumbled holding his broom. Now she would _have_ to see him again.

_Tomorrow, _she promised her self as she trudged up the staircase to her dormitory. _I'll give it to him tomorrow and then forget about him until Thursday._

Sunday dawned rainy and cold, sucking away the last of the false warmth they had all enjoyed the day prior. Rolling over in her bed Ginny felt hung over even though she hadn't drunk last night.

Groaning she heaved herself upright and winced at her broom-sore muscles. "Need to practice more." She muttered getting dressed. Pulling on her jeans and Charlie's old huge Quidditch rugby she hastened to grab Draco's broom and slip out before anyone saw her.

Successful she padded through the hallways of Hogwarts silently towards the hospital wing. It was only nine in the morning but most of the students were still asleep.

Sneaking past an empty classroom on the third floor Ginny paused when she heard a voice.

She froze when she realized it was Snape's voice.

Creeping toward the cracked open door, Ginny held her breath listening with all her might. Her eyes widened when she saw him on his knees, black robes pooled around him.

It was an abandoned classroom that was gray with dust and empty desks. Ginny trembled when she heard the raw emotion in Snape's voice. "I can't do it, I can't…" he was talking to someone…something. Ginny saw a portrait hung on the wall that she noticed would normally be covered with powerful disguising spells.

She tried not to gasp as she realized that it was Dumbledore's portrait.

Someone had started a rumor that his portrait had been removed from the headmaster's office because the Carrow's and supposedly Snape kept defacing it. Ginny had commented upon the bravery of whoever had done the deed with her fellow Gryffindors but the scene before her told her a very different story.

"I've been trying to help them, I have. I've placed listening spells everywhere and I've threatened the Carrow's repeatedly to send the really bad ones directly to me but the trust just is not there."

"Did you expect it to be?"

Ginny's hand flew to her heart as Dumbledore's portrait's voice floated softly to her ears. It felt like she had just been covered by a warm blanket and she closed her eyes, allowing herself to pretend for just a moment that he was still alive.

Her eyes fluttered open again at Snape's reply.

"Obviously, no, but I need to reach one, just one of the students…of course McGonagal is in and many of the other teachers but they can't say anything. It's too risky…"

"You're doing fine, Severus, it just takes time, you know this, it's not even December yet, just keep working at it. You better go, this conversation has gone on for too long."

Snape stood up and pushed his long black hair out of his eyes, clearly composing himself. "Of course you are right. Before I go…"

Dumbledore's portrait held up a hand and interrupted him. "As always I do not, and will not accept your apology. I asked you to do it. We both know how important that was and we will leave it at that."

Snape sighed and Ginny saw Dumbledore's bright blue eyes soften. "When will you stop asking for forgiveness?"

"Never," Snape whispered before performing the spell to hide the portrait.

Ginny backed away quickly and ran around the corner before peeking back. She saw Snape shut the door quietly and stride off down the other hall, disappearing with what looked like a huge weight upon his rounded shoulders.

Ginny continued the rest of the way to the hospital wing in stony silence. Before she opened the door to the wing she wiped her eyes and tried to capture the sound of Dumbledore's voice in her heart before it vanished like a dream.

* * *

**saaaaaaad. but i thought i'd end there.**

**SNAPE ANGST iloveit  
**


	20. Chapter 20

**0_0 uuupdateeeeee (side note: i had a dream about zombies last night. hmm...)**

**jk rowling owns it allllllllllll  
**

* * *

Draco was standing with his back towards the door to his tiny room and looking out his closed window. He smiled remembering the way it felt to fly through the air and he couldn't get itch to go again out of his head.

He ran a hand through his hair, now back to blonde, and a mother's voice tugged at his thoughts, telling him he needed to get it cut. He smiled imagining how Narcissa would fuss over his hair and make comments until he relented and let her cut it.

It was getting long he admitted, twirling a strand between his fingertips.

He remembered the feeling of Ginny ruffling his hair and he felt his stomach twist lightly. Draco dropped the strand from his fingers abruptly. He felt so damn confused about that girl it frustrated him to no end.

He hated her. That was it. But he liked kissing her. And he wasn't supposed to. He heaved a sigh of frustration as he thought of what she said last night about him asking for help.

He had asked for help. _Her_ help and he got shut down. Something Draco wasn't used to but was becoming more familiar with everyday.

Normally he would have never taken what she told him last night lying down but like she said, he was just so tired of fighting. It seemed to him that the only reason why he still didn't like her was just based on the mere fact that he had always hated her and was supposed to.

Without any concrete reasons to hate her, his resolve was beginning to crack. He chuckled to himself. It had already begun to crack all those moths ago in the summer at St. Mungo's.

He rubbed the back of his neck. That memory seemed a lifetime ago.

His feelings toward her were shaken when she had rescued him. Risked her life to fly him all the way to Hogwarts. He calculated the distance and shuddered. He didn't know if he would have done the same for her.

In fact, back then, he probably wouldn't have. And that realization shocked him because it reminded him of the life he almost took and couldn't. It reminded him that he couldn't take a life even if he wanted to.

So why would he have left Ginny to die if she had been in his place?

He paced in his tiny room. So that's when he had shut himself off from her. Sending her owls back and ignoring her Patronus'. It tortured him to no end but he was bitter over his loss of speech and he had nursed that bitterness over the entire summer, allowing a darkness to settle over his heart.

But when she had walked in to see him during the Start of Term feast, her brilliant presence had slammed into that shadow catching him completely off guard.

And it was a feeling that he had grown to like after countless hours of tutoring. He had been totally without stimulation the entire summer and the year previous and this new burst of energy had begun to sustain him throughout the week.

It was something he thrived off of. It was intoxicating to be around someone so vibrant after almost two years of numbing solitude and he was unapologetic about the way he lapped her attention up.

But when she was brought into the hospital wing bleeding, Draco thought he was going to lose that light forever. And that was something he just couldn't live without.

The door opened behind Draco interrupting his thoughts and he froze, keeping his back to the sound, with his heart jumping in his chest, beating furiously with hope.

* * *

Ginny felt weak and knew she most likely looked pale after seeing Snape on his knees in front of Dumbledore's portrait.

The image was bursting in her mind and she was anxious to tell someone, she just didn't know who yet.

Clutching the broom afresh, Ginny had strode purposefully down the aisle of the wing, putting the event out of her mind and preparing herself for a brief, well-handled, interaction with Draco.

She opened the door, blushing that she forgot to knock, and was startled by the vision before her.

Draco was idly leaning against the far wall of his room gazing out the window, his back to her. His hair was back to it's normal brilliant blonde and it fell easily around his head, the long tips of the back barely brushing the top of his collar.

Ginny admired how his muscles shifted beneath his clothes that hung elegantly off his tall, powerful frame. Her eyes began to drift down somewhere near his bum when she remembered why she was there and snapped to attention.

"Hi," she squeaked. _Nice one, Ginny,_ the girl berated herself.

Draco turned lazily, as if he simply couldn't be bothered to act surprised and raised his wand, smirking.

IT'S NOT THURSDAY YOU KNOW. SHOULD I GET YOU A CALENDER OR SOMETHING?

"Ha," was all Ginny managed before shoving the broom over to him. "I forgot to give this back to you."

He stepped forward and took it slowly, like he was inspecting it and Ginny winced. "I didn't ding it or anything. Same condition as last night I swe-" She stopped as he pushed the broom back into her hands.

"F-fo-ur y-oo," he wrestled out of his mouth. YOU LOOK SORE, YOU SHOULD PRACTICE MORE.

Ginny's eyes went wide. "I can't accept this," she stammered. "I won't accept this. I have a broom of my own…at home." She finished lamely.

Draco scoffed, leaning casually back against the wall and crossing his arms. EXACTLY. TAKE IT. I CLEARLY DON'T NEED TWO.

Ginny knew her mouth was opening and closing but she couldn't help it. She just couldn't think of another excuse for refusal. "But…" she tried.

Draco shook his head firmly and then backed away to lean against the far end of the window sill. The distance he put between them told Ginny his decision was final and that there was nothing she could do.

She stood there, fiddling with the twigs at the end of the broom, unsure of how to say what she wanted to say next.

ANYTHING ELSE? AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE A VERY BUSY SCHEDULE TO GET BACK TO.

"I just wanted to say," Ginny swallowed and rushed on. "That I'll help you!" She practically yelled.

She finally raised her eyes to meet his and was glad to see that they were wide with shock. She felt like she was in control.

Draco managed to control himself and his eyes settled back to their normal size.

"Well?" Ginny asked when he didn't say anything. Her control over the situation was slowly slipping away. She just wished she could know what he was thinking behind his gray eyes.

GOOD. I KNEW YOU'D COME AROUND EVENTUALLY. BEING A PATHETIC GRYFFINDOR AND ALL. He grinned and Ginny couldn't help it, she grinned back.

"That was pretty pathetic of me wasn't it?" she giggled slightly.

PRETTY MUCH, His grin grew wider.

Ginny exhaled the tension she had felt the entire day and invited her self to flop down on his neatly made be. "Fuck," she laughed. "Sorry, I've been off this entire morning, and I am pretty sore from the flight last…" she trailed off and looked up at Draco. "I'm sorry; you don't want to hear this." She stood and made for the door.

His movement she saw out of the corner of her eye stopped her and she turned. "What?" she asked, her voice sounding a little too breathy in her ears.

Draco quirked an eyebrow at her. NOTHING. JUST FIXING MY BED.

Ginny blushed as she realized that she had wrinkled it when she had sat down. "Oh," she ejected. "Sorry." She fled.

* * *

Draco glared at the wrinkles in his bed.

He hadn't been moving to fix them, Merlin he wasn't _that_ much of a neat freak. He had been moving to…

_What?_ He asked himself. _Kiss her again? I know how she feels about that._ _A fucking joke._

Still, she had looked so beautiful when she had sat down. He smiled, allowing his mind to replay the moment in his head without thinking about how stupid he was being.

The gold and maroon rugby she was wearing brought out the color in her skin and the light from his window had caught her hair just so…

Draco felt like slapping himself.

_Get a bloody grip_.

He left his sheets the way they were, a molding in fabric of her body that he would keep for just a bit longer. A reminder of her happiness and the light that he was so addicted to.

* * *

Ginny almost ran back to the Gryffindor common room, taking an alternate route so she wouldn't have to pass the classroom she saw earlier. She knew the urge to go inside to see Dumbledore's portrait would be too great for her to ignore.

Yelling out the password, Ginny flew through the portrait hole and pounded the stairs to the boys dormitory taking two at a time. She burst into Neville's room.

"Neville!" She cried.

The seventh year sat up in bed, mortified. "What do you want?" he cried back, clutching his sheets to his chin.

Ginny ignored his embarrassment and walked up to his bed.

Seamus sat up across the room and rubbed sleepy eyes. "Good Merlin, Ginny, do you know what time it is?"

"Hush, Seamus, this is important." Ginny started pacing. She couldn't stay still as she relayed to the only two boys left in the dormitory the story of Snape and the portrait.

The boys' mouths were hanging open when she finished. "Blimey," was all Seamus said.

Ginny looked expectantly at Neville. "This is good, right? Snape is good. Do you have any idea what this means? This changes everything!" She shouted, making Seamus and Neville jump.

"Blimey," Seamus said again.

Ginny sighed, exasperated. "The question is now…"

She was cut off by Neville. "What are we going to do about it?"

The three thought in silence, Ginny started pacing again until she felt something click in the back of her mind. She knew what she needed to do.

Setting her jaw she turned towards Neville. "I have to get into really big trouble," she grinned, her cheeks flushing with excitement.

* * *

**yesssssssssssssssssssssss**


	21. Chapter 21

**update update uppy uppy update**

**secret note: hi bean!**

**jk rowling owns it all and i nothing  
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* * *

"Quit fidgeting," Neville told her as they lingered outside the Great Hall during breakfast Monday morning. Then, leaning closer, he whispered, "You don't have to do this, you know."

Ginny stopped biting her nails and smiled nervously at Neville. "Thanks, but I really do." She took a deep breath and adjusted her outfit. Her tie was loose, her top buttons on her shirt undone with her breasts hanging out more than Ginny would ever want thanks to a borrowed push-up bra. She took a swig of firewhisky and spit it out, the rest of the foul liquid she dabbed on her wrists and the pungent odor reached her nostrils.

"That's enough, I think," Neville said wrinkling his nose.

"Yeah, me too," Ginny spluttered. She had tried to not let any of the stuff go down her throat but a few drops had and they burned deep in her chest. But after a few seconds it felt good. She shook her head to clear it.

Neville looked concerned. "You remember the plan, right?"

Ginny shot him a look. "Of course I remember the plan, stop asking, it's making it worse." Neville apologized but Ginny was lost in her thoughts, going over the steps she was about to take in her head.

They had spent the whole of Sunday conceptualizing this action with Seamus and finally had landed upon the choice of public disgrace where Snape would definitely see her.

At first they were going to do something in McGonagall's class or another teacher but Seamus mentioned that they couldn't be positive that one of those teachers would send her directly to Snape. And all three of them had flatly refused to think about doing it in the Carrow's class. She would probably just end up getting killed instead of sent to Snape.

So the Great Hall was their base of attack.

The next wrinkle they had to smooth out was how to get the attention of everyone. Seamus came up with a solution to that one. Pulling out a flask of firewhiskey he had thrust it into Ginny's hands.

"Take it," he had said. "Honestly it will work, trust me."

The next step was trickier. They had to get the Slytherins involved and it took them almost all day to corner Theo. When they finally had, he had grinned wickedly. "In, definitely in. And I know Blaise will be too."

Now, outside of the Great Hall, Ginny had the sickening feeling that this whole thing sounded better in plan rather than action. "Fuck," she said, feeling nauseous. She told her self it must be the firewhiskey.

Neville turned to her again. "You really don't have to do this."

Ginny grabbed the firewhiskey flask out of his hands and took a large swig, this time swallowing. "Yes Neville," she said, wiping her mouth. "I really do."

* * *

Theo and Blaise were trying not to look at each other during breakfast. They knew what was coming and they were nervous for Ginny. "What if this doesn't work?" Blaise kept asking Theo last night. Theo had just shrugged, unsure of what to say.

Now, in the light of morning, the idea looked even worse than it had in the dark green of the Slytherin common room.

"Shit," Theo heard Blaise mutter under his breath. Theo stepped on his toes. They both jumped and tried not to turn at the same time to look when the doors to the Great Hall swung open revealing late comers.

"Oh Merlin," Theo heard Pansy whisper. "Is that _Weasley?_" Theo finally allowed himself to turn around. He could practically smell the firewhiskey from where he sat. _Overboard much, Weasley?_ He thought, his heart pounding with nerves.

Looking around, Theo realized that she hadn't gotten everyone's attention yet. Neville pretended to help her over to the Gryffindor table, but feigning intoxication, she shrugged him off and Neville left her to go sit down and hide. "Slytherins!" Ginny said, pretending to spy their table for the first time. Now about half of the students were looking.

Theo tried not to hyperventilate as she stumbled drunkenly over to where he and Blasie were sitting. "Hey Blaise," Ginny said, drawing out the end of his name while rubbing his head. "You're a Slytherin aren't you?"

"Er…" Blaise said, playing along perfectly.

"Is she _drunk?_" Pansy said shrilly, causing more students to look.

Ginny grinned sloppily across the table at the girl. "Yes," she said, pointing a wobbling finger at her. "But don't tell anyone. Shhh." Pansy looked disgusted and immediately sat back and started whispering with her idiot friends.

Ginny plunked herself down on Blaise's lap and sighed mournfully. "Oh Blaise…" she crooned and then whispering she said to him softly, "How am I doing?"

Blaise smiled slightly. "Wonderfully. Keep it going."

"Oh Blaise…" Ginny said again, louder getting back into character. "If only _I _could be a Slytherin..." she heaved another sigh. "Then we could be together and with the Dark Lord forever!" She shouted this last part and most of the Great Hall went silent watching her.

"Time to shine, babe," Blaise said quietly and then, louder, "Weasley, you're cute, but not that cute. You should go back to your dormitory."

"No!" Ginny shouted. "I want to go up!" And with that, she heaved herself up onto the Slytherin table, with almost invisible help from Blaise. Theo glanced up at the staff table and suppressed a grin. She had their attention now.

"I want to go _all _the way up!" Ginny was saying as she stumbled forward, towards the staff table, weaving her way through the maze of breakfast dishes. "I want to go _all _the way into the dark. All you _Slytherins _have your fun running this place and you don't get in trouble and you don't get hurt and," she had come to rest at the end of the table and she took a step up to the staff table. "I want to change houses!" Ginny shouted to the Great Hall triumphantly.

Theo would have laughed at the faces of everyone if he hadn't understood the stakes they had gambled on this plan. He watched Ginny take giant, drunken steps towards Snape. As she passed Hagrid, Theo's heart almost stopped as he saw that she was almost stopped by a large hand.

"Please Ginny," Theo heard Hagrid plead. "What would yer parents think?"

But Ginny skirted this and continued on speaking in time with her steps. "I. Want. To. Be. A. Slytherin." She announced, coming to a complete, swaying, stop in front of Snape.

"Get back in your seat, _Weasley,_" Snape said in a dangerously soft voice that somehow still carried throughout the Great Hall.

Ginny shook her head wildly. And then repeated herself. "I want to be a Slytherin. Change my housing assignment, _headmaster,_" she spat, ironically.

Snape's mouth twitched and his eyes flicked quickly to the Carrow's shocked faces. He looked back a Ginny. "No," Theo heard Snape say firmly.

"Well then," Ginny said shouting. "Make me a Death Eater then. How does that happen?" She asked the air, turning slowly around to address the school. "Who do I have to _kill_ to get into the club? Should it be you, headmaster?" Ginny asked Snape turning back around to him. "Because as I remember you killed the last one-"

Theo inhaled a sharp breath as he saw Amycus Carrow throw a heavy pewter dish at Ginny's head which hit its side with a painful sounding _thunk._ Surprised with pain, Ginny fell to her knees in a faint.

Silence fell upon the Great Hall like a deadly weight. "Merlin that was unnecessary," Theo heard someone mutter from the Hufflepuff table.

"Who said that?" Amycus shrieked standing up, wand at the ready. "Tell me who it was and I'll take it easy on you I swear," he giggled unpleasantly.

But Snape placed a hand on Amycus' arm. He looked up incredulously at the hook-nosed man. "That is enough, Amycus," Snape said imperiously. "Get this _thing_ up to my office immediately."

A sickening smile spread across the Death Eater's face. "Yes sir," the man said sounding all too willing.

"And," Snape added as Ginny's body was lifted and halfway out the Great Hall. "Don't touch her until I get there." Theo winced visibly along with the rest of the Great Hall. This wasn't in their plan and he hoped that Snape would get to his office soon.

As the doors to the Great Hall swung shut behind Ginny and her captor all eyes turned on Snape who stood up to address them all.

"I believe it's time for classes to start," he said simply before whisking out a side door that closed behind him with a snap.

Theo felt Neville's frantic gaze upon his back and he locked eyes with the boy. Neville made as if to stand up and widening his eyes, Theo gave him the smallest possible shake of the head. Neville relaxed back into his seat but he didn't look any easier with the situation.

As Blaise and Theo gathered their things for class with the rest of the school they both were quiet, their thoughts occupied with the imagined fate of a certain red head in which they had placed all their faith.

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**omg what's gonna happennnnnnn?????????**

**nothing, if you don't reviewwwwwww  
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	22. Chapter 22

******I forgot how much i like this story...IF i do say so MYSELF!**

******hahahahahaha**

******jk rowling owns all of harry potter. and good for her**

* * *

Ginny woke up with a headache in an unfamiliar place. As her eyes adjusted to the pain on the side of her head, the memory of what she had just done came back to her and she groaned.

"Good," a sticky sweet and familiar voice came from behind her. "You're awake. Just in time for a little _fun_." On the word 'fun' Ginny felt magical bindings spring up and latch her down to the table she was lying on. There was a curious muffled roaring noise in the background and Ginny couldn't place it.

"Come now!"

"Don't do this!"

Ginny realized that it was the voices of all the old headmaster portraits all crying out indignantly.

"Shut up!" Ginny heard Amycus' voice shriek. "Shut up or I will blast you all to bits!" Ginny heard the loud noise clam down a bit but there was still a buzz of alarmed voices.

She began to sweat as Amycus' face came into view. She had hoped it wasn't him but his voice was too ingrained into her memory for her to ever really forget.

The squat, evil man stepped closer to her and touched a strand of her hair. Ginny screwed up her face and turned it away from him. _Oh Merlin,_ she thought desperately as his hand slowly began to trail down her neck and rest upon her collarbone for just a moment... _Oh Merlin, oh Merlin, oh-_

She heard another giggle erupt from the back of the Death Eater's throat and she had to swallow her own bile that had seeped into her mouth.

His hand had now moved to the side of her body, cradling her rib cage and hovering there for a moment, as if to see if it could crush the bones underneath the warm skin. Ginny couldn't help it; she tried to squirm away from his touch. "My dear, lie still and this will all be over soon." Amycus brushed a strand of hair out of Ginny's eyes with his other hand. "Or maybe not." He let out a sickening laugh. "Especially when Snape gets here," the man's voice had taken on a singsong quality.

The hand on her rib cage traveled down, the thumb tracing the midline of her stomach from her breastbone to her bellybutton, the fingers caressing the curve of her body from ribs to hips.

The man moved his lips to her ear. "I will not make this gentle for you," he said, letting his thumb slide down past the end of her shirt hem. "This will not be enjoyable." He slid his hand upward under her shirt, pressing his hand down hard and scraping with his nails.

* * *

Draco's door flew open.

BLAISE, WHAT-? Draco began to write, startled by the sudden entrance of his friend. He stopped scrawling in the air as soon as he processed the look on the other boy's face. GOOD MERLIN WHAT? He demanded, heart clenching with nervousness.

Blasise took several deep gulps of air before heaving out a brief version of what had just taken place in the great hall. "And he just took her up to Snape's office, I mean, the headmaster's office." Draco made a strangled noise and then wrote quickly in the air.

CHARM ME. He wrote; jaw set in heavy resolution.

"So what?" Blaise asked. "So you can go wandering about the school and put us all in jeopardy?" The tall black boy shook his head. "No way, mate. I'm sorry I really am but I can't do it. It's just too risky."

Draco just stood there, gazing at his friend. Blaise was impressed with how well he was handling the news until he saw the bitter fire deep with in his stone grey eyes. THEN WHY DID YOU COME TELL ME?

Blaise stared at the blonde boy. "I dunno," he said, feeling caught. Why _had_ he come? He started when Draco strode over to him and gripped him by the shoulders. His eyes widened when the boy spoke. His new voice was raspy, at a deeper pitch than his old one but powerful and urgent.

"Charm me, now."

Blaise did as he was told and cast his best disallusionment charm yet.

* * *

A door out of her view slammed open and another body walked into the room. Snape's voice rang out and Ginny gave a little cry of relief as Amycus' hand jerked away from her skin. "Amycus," the headmaster spoke in a powerful voice. "I _told _you not to touch her."

Amycus didn't move from his position over Ginny. "Don't act so relieved, darling girlie," he whispered ignoring Snape's orders. "He's going to do _much_ worse." Turning around he simpered, "I didn't, I would _never. _I just prepared her for you."

Snape stared at the Death Eater and then nodded towards the door. "You may go." Amycus nodded and left, winking at Ginny who really felt like she was going to vomit. As the door to the office clicked shut, Ginny heard Snape flick his wand at it to lock and seal it for silence and privacy.

Ginny looked at Snape expectantly, waiting for him to unbind her from the restraints. When he didn't do this immediately, and instead walked around the table she was lying on and sat down in his chair behind the headmaster's desk, Ginny felt her skin crawl. _Had she been wrong about him?_

She didn't want to cry, she wouldn't let him see her cry. Her stomach was still reeling from the touch of Amycus

"You always did have a proclivity for the dramatic, eh Weasley?" Snape said with a hint of a smile in his voice rather than on his face. He lazily snapped his wand and the bindings fell away and Ginny sat up quickly, scooting off the table, rubbing her wrists.

"Sir," Ginny couldn't think of anything else to say.

She stood in front of his desk awkwardly, knowing that Snape wasn't going to let her off the hook. But finally he sighed. "So," he said, extending his white hands in front of him like pale, spidery stars. "Explain."

Ginny took a deep breath and a seat in the chair Snape had gestured to on the opposite side of his desk. "I saw you," she admitted, embarrassed for the both of them. "The other day in the classroom with…" she trailed off into a whisper. "With _his _portrait," She saw Snape stiffen but she went on. "I know what you're trying to do and we thought-"

Snape cut her off. "Who, pray tell, is _we_?"

Ginny fiddled with a button on her sleeve. "Just a couple of students…" With a harsh glare from Snape, she elaborated. "Neville, Seamus, well all the Gryffindors really, old DA members from other houses and…Nott and Zabini." Ginny stumbled purposely over those last two names, unsure if she needed to hide her new allies. And there was no way she was going to mention that other boy…

"Don't!" A deep, scratchy voice rang out sharply, startling the odd pair in the headmaster's office. Snape and Ginny turned to see Draco Malfoy panting in the doorway, a disallusionment charm trickling off him.

Taking in the scene before him, he looked just as surprised as the two he had barged in on. "Gg-whesluh?" Draco seemed to stammer worse than before.

Snape's eyes had grown wide. Sitting in silence for a moment he stared at Ginny. "I see," he finally stated before rising abruptly and crossing to the window overlooking the lake.

Left in the dead air, Ginny turned to stare at Draco who was still panting slightly in the doorway but still trying his best to look calm. The flush on his pale cheeks had receded for the moment, but he still looked frazzled.

_What are you doing here?_ Ginny mouthed to the blonde boy.

Draco had an odd look on his face. Pure embarrassment mixed with shock and confusion. His mouth grasped at words to try and explain back, but he was at more of a loss than usual when it came to communicating. His mouth hung slightly open and he kept licking his lips, as if in preparation for the words that he would never find.

It was rather cute, Ginny decided before she blanched in horror at her inner thoughts and snapped her attention elsewhere. She gazed up at the portraits of the old headmasters and with a jolt she realized they hadn't gone back to sleep as per usual, but rather they were peering down at the pair eagerly.

One small witch even gave a little wave to Ginny, a slight smile upon her wrinkled features, as if in encouragement. Ginny waved back but blushed when she turned to Snape and realized that he was watching her.

"Er…" was all Ginny could think to say. "Sir."

Snape looked at Draco and his eyes narrowed slightly. "What on earth are you doing here? Why would you jeopardize your safety and this school by running around the castle?"

Draco looked as if he had more of a grasp on the situation. Having a simple goal of responding to a question helped. He flushed slightly as Snape raised his eyebrows, waiting.

Fumbling in his pockets, Draco finally retrieved his wand and began to write in the air, slowly, as if he were calculating his response.

BLAISE TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED. SO I RAN UP HERE TO SEE.

Draco paused in writing; obviously uncomfortable with something Ginny couldn't put her finger on.

AT THE REQUEST OF THE REBELLION, OF COURSE. SINCE I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO WOULDN'T BE MISSED.

Draco wrote the explanation quickly, as if he were trying to compensate for something.

Snape was silent for a moment, eyes only snapping from Draco to Ginny once with a minute frown of understanding. Then; "I see." The old potions master sat up straighter in his chair and regarded Draco coolly. "Rebellion," Snape quoted Draco's purple lettering with condescension. "Really," he trailed off, saying it more to himself than the two teenagers before him.

Standing up, the man began to pace, slowly. So slowly that it didn't look like he was making any progress until he was halfway to the window, bright blue-gray sky framing his dark cloaks.

Apparently satisfied with Draco, Snape turned his gaze back upon the redhead. Ginny was uncomfortable in his stare and searched desperately for something to fill the awkward silence.

"Sir," Ginny started, and then stopped. She had nothing to say.

"Yes?" Snape retorted, misreading her attempt for conversation.

Ginny blushed. She hadn't wanted to ask him to ask him a question; she had just wanted to fill the silence. Scrambling she pulled one out of her head that had been pressing on her. "Why did you move the portrait?" she blurted. She felt Draco straighten behind her chair and move slightly closer.

Snape sighed heavily and crossed the rest of the room to the window. "Because the Carrows kept defiling it. Besides," he said quieter. "I couldn't stand looking at it everyday."

Ginny wanted to move to him, but she sat completely still in her chair. "Why did you do it, sir?" she asked, in a voice so soft that she half hoped he hadn't heard.

Instead Snape turned to the window and clung to the railing, as if to keep the urge to fling himself off the tower at bay. Ginny was shocked. She had never seen this side of her teacher before. If he had trembled, or stifled a sob or displayed any other kind of emotional weakness other than self-destruction, Ginny wouldn't have been as startled. But seeing a suicidal recklessness pass swiftly through the man, she couldn't help but be in awe.

She jerked, standing up out of her chair as if in preparation to go to the man in order to…

_To what, Ginny?_ She asked herself. _To be of comfort?_ Ginny's natural instincts to help people had taken over before she had time to think of whom she would have been aiding. She stopped her forward motion to the new headmaster before the hiss of warning from Draco.

Ginny didn't bother turning to glare at the young blonde man. She was too mortified that she had just been about to go over and _hug_ Snape. She was rooted to the spot, unable to sit down for the same reason that prey freezes before predator. _Maybe no one noticed._ She thought desperately and embarrassed. Thankfully, Snape began talking, distracting her from having to think about her reaction for the moment.

"That is one secret I will keep to myself," the man in black said, in a voice steadier than Ginny had imagined it would be. "And I am allowed my secrets, but as I am in a position of authority at this time and you two are in relative danger right now, I would ask that you do not keep any important secrets from me."

At the word "me", Snape straightened up and strode back across the office to settle down once more into his chair. Ginny had noticed that he had used the word "authority" instead of "headmaster".

"What, in Merlin's name, are you two doing working together? And the others? How did everyone agree to unite?" Something deep within Snape's eyes was flickering, but Ginny couldn't quite make out the emotion.

Curiosity, maybe? Perhaps the professor's penchant for knowledge was shining through at this moment, but Ginny couldn't possibly realize that it was something more. Hope and affirmation of past expectations were colliding together in Snape's mind and two unlikely students that were before him represented those feelings.

Snape had known that this day would come, the day when students of different houses would ban together in a time of need. How much of that comprehension had been helped along by Dumbledore he would never admit to nor truly know himself, but now all Snape wanted to know then was _how._

Ginny didn't look at the man who killed her headmaster. "Sir, a lot of things have changed," Ginny paused, glancing quickly at Draco, who was still standing as if confusion were a posture.

She swallowed. "_A lot_, and I really don't know what to think anymore." She rubbed her forehead and ran her fingers through her hair. "Or who to trust. I took a big risk coming here to you a-and I want to make sure, on the behalf of the other students, that you come through for us."

She took a tiny step towards Draco, positioning herself next to her previously occupied chair instead of in front of it when Snape sighed and then stood up, turning the entirety of his tall body toward her. He looked down his hooked nose for a moment causing Ginny's heart to pound wildly against her chest. He was an impressive man, and the black silhouette of his clothing wasn't helping.

"Now why couldn't you ever be that eloquent in my potions class?" His face held no trace of a smile, but his black eyes glittered.

A rush of air escaped Ginny as her shoulders sagged in relief. Snape began his slow pace again behind his desk. "I just want to know why you chose to do it in the Great Hall? And at breakfast?" Snape asked.

Ginny consciously ignored the look of deep puzzlement from Draco she could feel in her peripheral vision as she held onto the arm of the chair for support. It would feel odd to be the only one sitting, and Ginny didn't need any more odd feelings at the time. "Because we wanted to get everyone's attention. At least those who want to listen, sir. We don't want anyone to feel alone in this situation at Hogwarts anymore."

Snape continued to look at her with his heavy gaze. "I see. And you didn't just come to my office because…" he trailed off expectantly.

"It was the only way I could have gotten in to see you, sir," Ginny said. "It would have looked suspicious if I had just gone up to visit."

Ginny saw the grudging respect flare up in his eyes and then quickly die. "Do you understand the position you've put me in?" His voice was suddenly sharp, the tone of a man taking out his frustrations and not really thinking about whom they fell upon.

"Here is what needs to happen." Snape had positioned himself in the center of his desk, arms outstretched, hands supporting his weight as he leaned slightly forward, looking like that of a muggle army general in a war briefing.

"You," he nodded toward Ginny. "Need to spend a night in the hospital wing, for effect. Let everyone leap to their own conclusions and don't affirm what may or may not have happened up here. At least," Snape paused, resisting the urge to shudder. Death Eater training was good for one thing; controlling emotions. "What could have happened."

He turned his attention to Draco. "You need to stop running around the castle," Snape spoke over Draco's noise of protest. "And that doesn't just include today. I know about the lake and the flying, and it has to stop, for your own safety." Draco bowed his head in acceptance.

"Furthermore, apart from what you have told be about your…_group_, I do not want to know anything more. Ignorance on my part is the best path to take at this point, I'm afraid. I wish I could offer you more assistance but I'm not blind to realize that you all got this far on your own."

Ginny started to protest, started to complain that she had risked her life to ask him for assistance, when she saw that it would be of no use. Snape was right, they had come this far and he was to be used only as a very last resort.

Snape nodded at her understanding and motioned for the both of them to leave. "You and Mr. Malfoy may go. I thank you for trusting me." The two students turned to leave, walking uncomfortably, knowing the long trek back to the hospital wing would be awkward.

"And Ginny," Snape called out, beckoning just her back as Draco started down the stone stairs. "Take care of the heart you carry. It's breaking could devastate you as well."

Ginny nodded, although she had no idea what he was talking about. Maybe speaking in code came with the job of headmaster of Hogwarts.

* * *

**oh dear snapey snape. you are the _best_ plot device...**

**reviewwww!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Just a small update for y'all...second time this week!**

**jk rowling...disclaimer...yaddah yaddah**

* * *

As Ginny let the door to Snape's new office close shut quietly behind her she steeled herself for the long walk back to the hospital wing. Raising her chin to meet Draco's gaze she rehearsed what she was going to say.

It all flew wildly out of her mind when she looked up to find the boy way closer to her than she would like. "Malfoy…" she breathed, air gushing out of her lungs in surprise as she stopped short to avoid crashing into him. Draco Malfoy was so close to her that she could feel his body heat and see the tiny blond hairs running the length of his jaw line.

A fuzzy feeling began to grow over Ginny's brain as she got lost in his scent for a moment, she was almost dizzy. _Why was he standing so close?_ Ginny asked herself, trying to wade through the fog in her mind. _Why aren't I moving away?_

I NEED YOU TO CHARM ME. Purple letters filled her unfocused stare and she began to shake herself out of her stupor. Ginny threw out her arms and clamped her hands around his biceps. _Don't think about the muscles…_Ginny gritted her teeth and averted her eyes as she pushed him back, achieving an arms-length distance between the two.

She heard an intake of breath and deep sigh emitted from the boy she was still holding. She dropped her hands immediately. His breath wasn't unpleasant but the tone of his exhalation had been full of a complicated emotion that she had no idea how to read.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Ginny chanced a glance up at Draco's eyes. They didn't have the same effect on her as they normally did for she had prepared herself and his stone grey gaze had been checked a bit. Even so, Ginny felt her stomach squeeze gently.

_That happens all the time, _Ginny reasoned with herself. _Every time you accidentally make eye contact with someone it's jolting._

Ginny didn't admit to herself that those times were usually limited to people across the room and it usually didn't happen multiple times.

Ginny huffed, getting control of herself. "Why do you need me to charm you? Do it yourself." She enjoyed watching his cheeks flush slightly. Red-heads weren't the only ones that blushed.

JUST DO IT, ALL RIGHT? YOU'RE MY TUTOR I WANT TO SEE IF YOU CAN DO IT.

Ginny's eyes narrowed, regarding her opponent. "Fine, but you have to explain to me what you were doing barging into Snape's office like that." Ginny took out her wand and cast the spell, pleased that it was done well. "What if he was really bad and attacked you, what then?"

Disembodied purple letters answered her. I HAD A PLAN.

Ginny snorted. Even in writing, she could sniff out his lie. "Oh sure, I bet that plan had something to do with you chickening out at the end?" Ginny blanched. She hadn't meant to be that mean and rehash and old event. She knew what it meant to him and was devastated with herself.

When no purple letters floated out with a witty comeback, Ginny began to feel worse. As they walked along the hallways, Ginny silently called herself and idiot with every step. "Draco, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean it, I was just, I mean, I can take care of myself you know…" she trailed off.

As they rounded the corner to another hallway, Ginny felt her stomach drop again. _I called him Draco. Good Merlin, Ginny, what the hell is wrong with you? There goes our connection to the Slytherins…_

Ginny decided to stay quiet for the rest of the walk.

* * *

Under the cover of his disallusionment charm, Draco was free to stare at the girl walking next to him. At first he had been annoyed at her questions, although pleasantly so. It was conversation, and like any time Draco found himself being talked to, he lapped it up, regardless of what was being said. But anger had fizzed in his veins when she mentioned last year. It wasn't really anger at her, more at himself and his situation, but it felt good to take the emotion out on someone other than him.

But then she had called him Draco…

Draco's name was a special thing. It had been ingrained in his psyche long ago by his elite parents that the name Malfoy meant everything. So it was his last name that he and his family lived by.

Wherever they went, all they had to do was mention their surname and receive special treatment. It wasn't Draco's fault that he had been subconsciously conditioned to associate certain things to his last name. His father was the man who embodied it, his mother worshiped it and Draco was the product of it.

From a young age this had been pressed upon him along with the facts that Draco was to behave, to act in certain ways, all in accordance with the Malfoy family name in mind. And so his first name was largely forgotten, not in the way things taken for granted are, but more like an old toy that a child doesn't really need, but can't cast away.

His mother called him by his full name when in trouble, as did his father, and only in times of great love and private affection did they call him Draco. The same went at school. Only his greatest friends who loved and adored him called him Draco.

When he was mostly alone in his sixth year, trying to cope with Voldemort's demands, his name, his first name, was hardly spoken at all. Over the summer, there was no time for special moments with his parents and he certainly wasn't making any new friends this year.

Save for one.

When she came into his life, Draco had clung to her desperately. Deep down his Malfoy ways and teaching hated what he was doing, but his need for companionship won out. And when she called him Draco…it brought back memories of family, friends, and love.

Draco Malfoy couldn't help but be infatuated with this girl. A pretty girl, he admitted now unashamed of stating what he thought was the obvious. She had rescued him, talked with him, spent time with him and, including at this very moment, called him by his first name twice.

Under the cover of invisibility, Draco was staring. She was blushing, obviously conscious of what she had said. Draco wanted to reach out to her, to tell her that he cared for her, that he though of her as a friend, an equal, that all the shit about their families was behind him and what she had said in the night sky while they were on brooms made sense to him.

He wasn't the bad guy and he didn't want to be enemies. But he had no idea how to express himself.

For all that his parents taught him, Draco had retained one thing that he was proud of; emotional blockage. Draco's father reinforced the importance of being stoic and in control of his feelings his whole life and Draco was proud when his father acknowledged his progress.

What Draco didn't know was that he wasn't in control of his emotions, just incapable of expressing them. That was what he learned from his father. Unfortunately, the two are easily confused and his father didn't know to change anything.

Theo and Blaise would say that their blonde friend wore his heart on his sleeve, although never to his face. This was evident in years of interacting with Harry Potter and other children he bullied at school. His emotions of envy and annoyance ran wild but if someone were to ask Draco why he had bullied those that he did, he would have been at a loss for words.

They reached the hospital wing in silence and without incident and Draco slipped into his room while Ginny informed Madame Pomfrey of what she was doing there.

Alone in his room, Draco took off the disallusionment charm. The truth was, he could cast the charm on himself but it was never as good as Blaise's and now he know it also wasn't as good as Ginny's. A bubble of pride welled up within him before he quashed it.

Draco was floundering. He had too many feelings that he didn't know what they meant. He couldn't have dealt with them internally if he wanted and calling Theo or Blaise to talk was out of the realm of possibilities for Draco.

He was stuck. In a tiny stone room in the hospital wing at Hogwarts.

* * *

**Poo for Draco :(**


	24. Chapter 24

**YESSSSSSSSSSS another update**

**disclaimer a.k.a. jk rowling is better than me**

* * *

"Mr. Zabini!" Barked a voice. "Would you _kindly _pay attention?"

The tall, black student was jerked out of his reverie by the voice of the potions master Professor Slughorn. "I'm sorry, sir."

Professor Slughorn frowned, jowls quaking a little. "Humph, you better be. First you show up late to class and now you're just not mentally present for potion making," the teacher said before carrying on with his lesson.

Blaise shot a grin over at his best friend, Theodore Nott before looking hastily back at his potion. Theo had not been pleased. However, Blaise wasn't too worried, he knew his dark-haired friend was just as anxious to get out of their class and go to the hospital wing as he was.

Blaise was getting so antsy by the end of class that he managed to spill most of his potion on the cold stone floor instead of putting it in a vial to hand in to Slughorn. "What has gotten into you, Zabini?" Slughorn asked at the end of class, observing the vial of potion with raised eyebrows. "Your beaker is half empty with the Exhausting Draught."

"Well sir," Blaise said with a wide flirtatious grin at a Ravenclaw girl next to him. "I'd say it's more half full, don't you think?" Before Slughorn could retort, Blaise had grabbed Theo and pulled him out of the dungeons.

The pair were still bickering about Blaise's behavior when they reached the hospital wing. Nodding to Madame Pomfrey, who had finally learned to stop scowling when she saw them, they walked the rest of the way up the isle.

"You know," Blaise muttered to Theo as they passed the witch. "You think she could at least say hello to us, I mean it _is _the end of November and we've been coming in here often-" Blaise didn't finish. He had stopped speaking when Theo hit him in the shoulder. "Merlin!" Blaise exclaimed, annoyed. "What the bloody hell was-Ginny?" Blaise had finally looked up to see the redhead sitting cross-legged on a hospital bed, reading.

Ginny perked up when she heard her name but blushed when she saw whom it was. "Oh, hi guys," she said, suddenly shy with the memory of what she had just done in the Great Hall.

Theo looked at Blaise with his eyebrows raised but Blaise spoke first, as usual. " 'Hi' is all you're going to say? Merlin's fucking beard-" He was cut off again with another swat from Theo.

"Not here," the boy whispered to his black friend. It was then that Blaise noticed some bodies stirring under their blankets at the other end of the wing, the far end, towards the door.

The two Slytherin boys nodded at Ginny, determined to get the full story out of Draco, and walked to the extra room's door. Ginny hopped out of her bed and stood expectantly behind them.

Blaise turned around. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Ginny's face was blank, eyes wide and full of feigned innocence. "I'm coming in too."

"The fuck you are," Blaise began to say, loudly. Ginny cut him off with a look.

"The fuck I am," she retorted, clearly not missing the impressed look on Theo's face before blushing and turning back towards Blaise. "I'm a part of your little 'operation' whether you like it or not, especially now. Besides the Gryffindors need a representative."

Theo once again looked mildly impressed. "Fine," he said, ignoring the splutters coming from Blaise. "She's right, anyway."

Blaise grumbled something rude and Theo heard Ginny say sweetly; "Now Blaise, don't you fret you tiny little heart about me." Theo opened Draco's door with a grin. _Well this meeting should be interesting_, he thought wryly.

"I didn't invite her," Blaise blurted as the trio trooped into Draco's room.

The blonde boy was at his window, practicing a stunning spell on unlucky bugs that flew too close. WHO? Draco wrote before turning around. Theo could almost see his friend's stomach drop when he spotted Ginny. Theo tried not to grin.

"Me," Ginny said simply, grabbing a chair Blaise was aiming at before he could get his hands on it. The black Slytherin shot a murderous look at Theo who just ignored it. He was too busy watching Draco blush.

_Very interesting, _Theo repeated to himself before settling on Draco's bed.

Blaise managed to conjure up a thing that semi-resembled a chair that he sat down upon with a face he hoped conveyed superior comfort to the chair he had originally wanted.

WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE? Draco wrote, trying to overcome his shock.

"As if you aren't happy to see us," Blaise grinned wolfishly at his friend.

Draco smiled back. NO, I HATE YOU GUYS.

"Knew it," Blaise said proudly.

Draco laughed abruptly and Theo's eyes snapped to Ginny who had suddenly become very interested in her nails.

Before the room could lapse into awkward silence, Theo cut in. "We need to talk, _all _of us," he emphasized, giving a subtle hidden meaning to both including Ginny and asking why Draco wasn't speaking.

Draco ignored him. "Oh no," Blaise cut in. "The break-up talk." Ginny smiled slightly and Blaise laughed at his own joke as Draco raised his wand to reply.

"Please!" Theo yelled, startling the other three. "Be serious! It's November 27th and we're quickly running out of time before Christmas break. What needs to happen before then?"

The room was quiet, the three still stunned slightly at Theo's outburst. Blaise finally ventured: "I don't know, you're the one with the plan. Or was that question rhetorical?"

Theo just sighed before sitting up straighter. "You're right, I'm sorry, I have to tell you what we need to do, although we still all need to work together to make this happen. Now, Blaise, where are we with the members?"

Theo barely noticed that Ginny watched in rapt silence as Blaise rattled off the names of their fellow conspirators and their various levels of commitment. Theo took notes as the tall black boy spoke and nodded or shook his head at certain people.

"Good," Theo announced when Blaise had finished. "So we only lost Bulstrode, Byrd and Goldstein, but he was a maybe anyway."

"Anthony Goldstein?" Ginny spoke up. The three boys jerked their heads towards her, as if they had all forgotten she was there. She blushed at their motion but went on. "I don't think he's a maybe. I mean, maybe to you guys, but not to us. Seamus contacted him the other day. He said yes," Ginny finished lamely.

It was quiet for a moment before Blaise spoke. "Well good, who else have you taken from us?"

Ginny frowned. "Listen, I'm not taking anyone. You're the one's who got us in this mess in the first place."

"What do you mean 'we're the one's'? Slytherins aren't evil!" Blaise's voice was getting louder.

Ginny scoffed. "Oh yeah? Then who's that guy that's trying to kill us all right now? I forget his name. It's something with a 'v'. Oh, it's on the tip of my tongue!"

Blaise jumped up. "Listen you filthy little blood traitor-!"

Ginny echoed his motion and rose quickly to her feet. "Blood traitor!" She yelled. "What the hell are you doing right now, you idiot!"

Theo interrupted them before they could take out their wands. "Stop it, both of you!" His voice was commanding, different from his normal, soft-spoken tones. They all looked at him. "We need to stop arguing with each other. That's what inhibits our ability to work together."

Blaise rolled his eyes before sitting back down on his poorly conjured chair. Ginny smoothed her hair into a ponytail before mimicking Blaise's motion and settling back down onto Draco's desk chair. "Sorry," she mumbled.

IT'S OKAY. Draco wrote before Theo could say it. He stifled an inward chuckle at Draco's concerned face. BLAISE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO ACT CIVILIZED SOMETIMES, DO YOU, BLAISE?

The young Slytherin looked extremely grumpy. "I know how to act fine, _Draco,_" he spat. "And don't go sticking up for you little girlfriend all the time, it's annoying."

"Okay!" Theo said loudly, trying to cover up the blush in Ginny's cheeks and the loss of color from Draco's. "Speaking of Gyriffindors, how is your and Neville's plan coming along? And how do you think we can integrate our two 'teams', Ginny?"

With a final look at Blaise, Ginny launched into an explanation of how Neville thought they all should meet. "In the Room of Requirement. It's perfect and a safe environment for all of us to meet and hash out our _feelings _towards each other." She glanced again at Blaise but quickly back at Theo who smiled in encouragement.

"That's a great idea. I can get in contact with the Slytherins but can you rally everyone else?" Theo asked, making a note of all this in a book.

Ginny nodded. "Most of us, well everyone who was in DA, have these enchanted galleons that grow hot when the date is changed on the original galleon. Then those who have their galleons will tell others who don't have one. And I promise they will be discreet. What?"

Theo, Blaise and Draco were staring at her. "A little Death Eater-ish for you Gryffindors, isn't it?" Blaise finally said and with a glance at Draco he added. "I mean that's just like the Dark Mark."

Ginny nodded, agreeing. "Except," she said, loosely quoting Hermione from two years ago. "We decided not to deface a person's skin to send a message." She too, flicked her eyes to Draco.

Theo chanced a look at his friend who was absentmindedly rubbing his arm staring out the window. The room descended into silence.

NOW ALL WE NEED IS A DATE FOR A MEETING. The purple letters surprised them all; they hadn't thought Draco was paying attention.

"What about the first weekend in December? Next weekend?" Blaise put in.

Theo nodded. "Sounds fine to me. After all, we don't have Hogsmeade to look forward to anymore thanks to the Carrows and Snape. Snape!" Theo slapped a hand to his forehead. "I almost forgot! What happened, Ginny?" All eyes turned to her but Theo noticed that she looked at only one pair. _For strength? For comfort?_ Theo didn't know.

Ginny's eyes took on the slightly unfocused look when remembering a story, although they never wavered from their object of sight. "He took me up to Snape's office," she began, voice steady with a slight monotone to it, as if she were reciting lines.

"I woke up on a desk and he put restraints on me and he began to…" she trailed off, voice becoming hoarse as she remembered the horror she felt and Snape's warning to let people draw their own conclusions, although she didn't really think it mattered with this crowd.

Draco's mind was in turmoil at these words. After listening to what Ginny had just said, he was stunned. He berated himself the rest of her speech internally for not having asked her about it on their walk back to the hospital wing.

_If you weren't so busy being selfish and insulted with what she said about you…_ Draco trailed off in his own mind, still fuming.

"Then Snape burst in and sent him away. He released me and you came in," Ginny said, still staring at Draco and clearly meaning him. Theo glared at Blaise, still angry with his friend for telling Draco, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

"Snape is on our side, I promise. He still talks to Dumbledore's portrait sometimes, he's hidden it away in the castle so the Carrows stop messing it up. But there's nothing he can do to help us, they would know right away and it's far to risky." Ginny took a breath and was finished, eyes snapping back into focus and away from Draco. Her cheeks looked pale to Theo, instead of their usual pink.

"It's all right, Ginny," Theo said gently. "What you did was hugely brave in ways that you don't understand. You helped us out a lot." Ginny grinned at him weakly. "Alright," Theo said in a decisive voice. "We will all meet next weekend in the Room of Requirement. As a safety measure, Draco, I don't think you should be present at this meeting. Don't look at me like that, you know as well as I we could blow the entire operation with you there and that's final. I'm sure one of us will come straight here after it's over and tell you what happened."

Draco looked like he almost understood.

Shuffling his notes together, Theo stood up and motioned for Blaise. "That's all I have for right now, but I'm sure I'll see you two soon," he nodded towards Draco and Ginny, the later of which was getting up rather quickly and leaving the room. Blaise took care of his ugly chair and said goodbye to Draco.

Following the girl out of the room, Blaise caught her arm before she could retire back to her bed and her reading. "Listen, Ginny," he began, apologetic tones in his voice. "I'm really sorry about that in there, it's just that I'm stressed, we're _all _stressed. This isn't a game and we need everyone to trust us."

Ginny shook her arm free of his grasp, although without meaning anything by it. "I'm sorry too," she admitted. "But you have to understand, yeah, we're stressed but that doesn't mean we, I mean Neville and I and the rest of us Gryffindors, think this is a game. We know what's at stake and we are taking this as serious as you. And you need to trust _us_. We know what we're doing. Besides," Ginny added, a sly look playing across her face. "Could you have pulled off that little stunt without me this morning? Who else could have done it?"

Blaise looked at her with an odd sort of appraisal in his eyes. Finally he said, "I can tell why he likes you."

Ginny spluttered. "Who?"

"Don't make me regret joining forces with an idiot," Blaise said shrewdly. "You're not that stupid, even if you are a bloody Gryffindor blood-traitor."

It was Ginny's turn to regard the tall boy with a look. His insult also gave her time to compose herself after his little comment. "Listen, what's with all the blood-traitor comments all of a sudden? You were perfectly nice to me almost a-"

"When, Weasley?" Blaise interrupted. "When was I civil to you? Was it _all _the countless times we've hung out? Or were you thinking of that one time almost a month ago while you were just starting to tutor Draco? Or were you thinking of this morning when I cooperated with our stunt, or the other night when we planned it out with you?"

Ginny was silent, thinking back. He had been polite, hadn't he?

"Of course I was civil those times. What was I going to say when you were _helping _my mate? I'm not so mean as to deter you from working with him and him back further in his schoolwork. Of course I was cordial the other night, we were working out a plan that benefits all of us. And why would I spoil it the day of?" Blaise shook his head in mild amusement.

"Ginny," he said in a flat voice, devoid of his usual charm. "We aren't _friends. _I'm not even supposed to _interact _with you, none the less talk with you as much as we've been doing. It's in my upbringing in a pure-blood family that was concerned with such things as that. It's in my training; I suppose you could call it. So I can act in whatever way I want to you." He shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'no harm done, it's just they way things are'.

The girl smiled ruefully at his explanation. What had she been expecting, anyway? She didn't even _want _to be friends with Blaise, or any Slytherin for that matter. Did she? "You're right, Blaise, we're not friends. But if we're going to continue to not be friends, call me Weasley, only mates call me Ginny."

Blaise smiled back with a 'touché' type feel to the action. "Then don't call me Blaise, agreed?"

The odd pair shook hands.

* * *

Meanwhile, Theo had taken a moment to talk to Draco while Blaise and Ginny were outside the room. Collecting his notes a third time since the other two had left, Theo was stalling. He didn't know how to approach this subject.

THEO, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME, SPIT IT OUT. Draco wrote, looking amused. YOU HANGING ABOUT HERE FIDDLING WITH YOUR NOTES IS PAINFUL TO WATCH.

Theo sighed. He might as well get it over with. "You know, it _is _November…"

REALLY? Draco wrote, clearly intending sarcasm.

Theo ignored it. "You should be talking by now. I've done some research in my spare time about your condition."

Draco raised his eyebrows, impressed. When did Theo find the spare time for that? Draco was also touched that he had gone through that trouble for his sake but he didn't admit to that feeling.

"And while uncommon, full recoveries are not rare. Except in all the cases of full recovery, the injured person had a constant and rigorous regimen of oral practice. By this time in their recovery, others were onto full sentences, not without trouble mind you, but nonetheless…and you're still writing letters in the air."

Draco frowned, not bothering to try and disguise his anger, but Theo pressed on.

"How is your speech therapy coming along anyway?" he asked, trying to sound open and friendly. He had seen the anger in his friend and he wanted to steer him away from it.

The anger quickly dissipated from Draco's face replaced with deep shame. Theo felt his stomach drop but he wasn't going to say anything until Draco confirmed his suspicions.

IT'S NOT. LISTEN, BEFORE YOU GET MAD- But he was cut off.

"_Before _I get mad?" Theo asked as his voice rose. "Too fucking late! Draco you idiot, I thought you were going to ask her a long time ago? We _need _you too, you know, for this plan to work. You can't go screwing around with this. It's a sensitive time line! Get over your stupid feelings towards her and man up!"

Draco suddenly pushed Theo down onto his bed, forcing him to sit there and read what he had to say. LOOK, he wrote quickly. I DON'T HAVE ANY FEELINGS FOR HER. STOP SAYING IT. YOU BOTH NEED TO STOP SAYING IT.

Theo wasn't having any of this. He stood up and pushed Draco back, shocking the blonde haired wizard. Theo had never participated in any of Draco's school related fights and he had never seen him be really physical in this way before, even when he was playing Quidditch.

Theo took advantage of Draco's hesitation and pushed him again. "Don't be so Merlin damned thick!" Theo pushed Draco again. "Why can't you just get over your emotional problems and _process_ the shit in you brain once in a while?" He pushed him again and Draco ended up slamming his back against the wall.

WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? was all Draco could write. He was pinned as a result of the shock at seeing his friend like this.

Theo rolled his eyes and groaned in heavy annoyance. "I give up!" The boy cried, tossing his hands in the air. "I bloody _give up._ When you want to talk about your stupid girl problems, I'm here. Just hurry up and ask me to listen soon so we can get a move on with more important things like saving the lives of students, alright?" Theo gathered up his notes once more.

"You fucking let me know when you're ready to let go and admit that holding yourself back because you're afraid of not being a proper Malfoy is no longer a problem and you can go on _living_ your life and _talking_ and helping us with the _stupid_ plan that I've put so much _fucking _time into!"

Whith that, Theo slammed out of Draco's room, catching Blaise and Ginny shaking hands. "See?" he cried, turing back towards his stunned friend. "Even _they're _mates now and you know how hard Blaise is to please."

Ginny and Blaise looked around astonished, dropping the handshake. Blaise started to smile in an effort to lighten the situation. "Well, no, you see, we've actually just decided _not-_"

"Fucking shove it," Theo growled, storming past Blaise. "Come on, hurry up, we're late for class again."

The two boys left their co-conspirators speechless, which in retrospect, wasn't really that hard for one of them.

Ginny sat back down on her bed and commenced in her reading, although her eyes didn't really register the words on the page.

"Wow," Ginny said, not looking up from her reading, knowing that Draco could hear her. "Theo's really nice isn't he?"

Draco didn't respond.

* * *

**ZINGGG ten points for theo**

**review?**


	25. Chapter 25

**Whelllllllll look who's back!**

**ME!**

**yes well you all got that. Fat chapter for you. More to come because I quit school and have decided to roam about the mundane British countryside looking for Horcruxes.**

**Well no, I'm actually in taper for swimming and a head on all my work so there ya go!**

**disclaimer**

* * *

Ginny was tired. Tired from her ordeal with Snape and from nerves about the plan and thinking about what Blaise had told her wasn't helping anything. _I can tell why he likes you._ The tall boy's words echoed in her mind.

_Good Merlin, _Ginny thought, closing her book. She had been trying to read for a couple of hours, trying to do at least some homework while she was stuck in the hospital wing but she was preoccupied and had only managed to get through one chapter and take a few measly notes.

_This can't be happening. _Ginny, frustrated, closed her Trasnfiguration text with a snap and sat on the edge of her bed, head bowed so her hair fell in a curtain around her face. She liked the way the ends tickled the tops of her thighs peeking out from underneath her Hogwarts uniform skirt. Allowing herself to be distracted for a moment, Ginny found her thoughts wandering to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

What were they doing right now? She wondered. At this very moment? Were they in trouble? She gulped. Were they still alive?

Her heart clenched as she thought of never being able to see Ron again. She had already almost lost Bill and that was horrible enough, she couldn't imagine losing a brother completely. _Even Percy_, she admitted.

She missed the trio, sorely. They were always a wonderful source of mystery and adventure and pride that she was connected with them.

But her heart sank when she thought of what they would say with her associating with Slytherins. And Malfoy.

She lay down on her bed, folding her hands behind her head, thinking. Hermione wouldn't be so bad, Ginny reasoned. The bushy haired witch was always accepting of others who were different, and her sensible and supremely smart nature would allow her to see the reason in this union.

However, that didn't mean she would see the light in another sort of union…Ginny quickly put it out of her mind. But Ron and Harry's faces popped into view, with looks of disgust and betrayal painted on.

"_How could you do this to us?"_ They would ask. Ginny imagined their voices in her mind, a ghostly version of the real thing. _"Betray us by befriending a Malfoy?"_ Ginny groaned quietly in ironic despair within her imaginary melodrama.

"_Why, Ginny, why?" _She snorted, feeling only slightly better with feeling sorry for herself. Well at least they were far away and she wouldn't have to deal with them for a while.

GINNY?

It wasn't a ghostly voice in her mind but floating purple letters. Ginny didn't acknowledge them right away, she was thinking about how much she was really coming to detest the color when she realized he had written her first name.

The voice coughed and she sat up to see Draco standing in his doorframe, beckoning to her. I MEAN, WEASLEY.

Ginny just looked at him. "What do you want?" She asked, genuinely interested. They had only just parted ways two hours ago, after all.

JUST COME HERE. He turned and went deeper into his room. Ginny rolled her eyes, but followed him. She hated being ordered around but her curiosity got the better of her, as it usually did.

She shut the door behind her; careful to not let any other occupants in the hospital wing see her entrance into the tiny room. "What? Is it something about the plan?"

Draco just shook his blonde head. NO. Ginny didn't say anything, expecting more. When it became clear that he wasn't going to say anything, Ginny plopped herself down on his bed. The chair she had sat in before wasn't as comfortable as she had originally thought, and there was nowhere else to sit.

"Well," she sighed heavily, trying to make him feel less awkward to enable him to spit out what he clearly needed to say. "I'm not going to guess, if that's what you want." She hoped that maybe her relaxed posture and attitude would ease his tension.

Draco gave her an odd look. NO I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE YOU GUESS. Finally he sighed and sat on his chair. By the look of his face, Ginny was glad that she had chosen the bed. YOU SAID YOU'D HELP ME TALK AGAIN

What was this all about? "Yes, I did. Why?" Ginny said, simply. Draco paused for a bit and Ginny was reminded of him asking for her help in the first place, up in the sky not just a week ago. _Merlin, this is hard for him._ Ginny thought, suppressing a grin.

It hadn't been this much of an effort for him to ask her to be his tutor. _But then again, _Ginny thought, watching him struggle. _He wrote to me in a letter, he didn't have to ask me face to face. _As the pause lengthened, Ginny found it harder not to grin.

DO YOU, I MEAN, IF YOU WANT, COULD YOU START? NOW? PLEASE?

His choppy sentence and tightness in his jaw almost cracked the girl up, but she held her ground for the sake of his dignity and hers, and did not burst out laughing. She did, however, offer him the brightest of her smiles, unaware of the effect it had on him.

"Sure, why not? I have nothing else to do for the rest of the evening."

_Good Merlin, her smile is like sunlight._ Draco thought before calling him self a weirdo for saying shit like that, even to himself.

Honestly, Draco couldn't believe it had been that simple. Asking for something politely and humbly had never been one of his strong points, and it was a habit that he certainly never exercised at school and never had to at home with a house elf always around.

He did feel slightly annoyed that he had had to 'bend his knees' a bit. Or at least, that's how he felt. He almost hadn't asked her at all, not after he had seen the look on her face when he struggled to find the words. It looked like she had _enjoyed _watching him struggle.

_But, _he thought, somewhat morosely as he got out his word cards, _I've seen people enjoy pain before and that wasn't it. Not quite._

As he moved the table between her and his chair and spread out the cards he realized with a jolt that she had just liked watching him for the sake of watching him. Like how he enjoyed watching Blaise struggle to talk about what to do with his mother, or Theo about a new magical theory he hadn't quite worked out.

He liked watching those things because he cared about his friends and he knew that at those moments, he was watching them truly be themselves and develop around new obstacles in their lives.

Draco's hands shook as he laid out the last of the cards. _Does she care about me?_ His heart thundered in his chest as he sat on the chair and looked at the girl across from him who was now studying the cards in earnest. He calmed his aching heart and tried to prepare for concentration.

"These look like the same cards I used when I was little," Ginny said, picking up the W is for Wand card.

YOU? Draco wrote. WITH YOUR MUM?

"Yeah," Ginny said slowly as she gingerly replaced the card like it was a delicate memory. "Charlie had a terrible lisp when he was young and mum was determined that none of the rest of her children would have one so she made us practice with these for _hours._" She smiled faintly, still lost in her memory.

She laughed quietly, more of a chuckle. "Once, Fred got so annoyed that he and George set fire to them from the fireplace in the kitchen. They were so surprised when the cards rejuvenated themselves and shuffled endlessly above their heads for the rest of the day! All mum's doing of course…" She trailed off

Draco didn't know what to say. He had never heard childhood stories from anyone, including his friends, and he hadn't really thought about the fact that everyone had one, not just him. He knew it was a stupid thing to think, of course he knew in theory that everyone once had a childhood, but he hadn't really realized it consciously until now.

"So where are you right now in your progress," Ginny said, startling him out of reverie. He frowned, thinking. He was also thinking about how he wanted to be the one to snap her out of her thoughts, gain the upper hand if you will…

I CAN BASICALLY SAY ALL THESE WORDS AND MY NAME AND OTHER BASIC OBJECTS LIKE THE ONES ON THESE CARDS. IT'S JUST THE SOUNDS I HAVE TROUBLE WITH, NOT THE VOCABULARY.

"Say your name," Ginny said, unexpectedly. Her green eyes looked at him wide and expressionless, but Draco read it as a challenge.

He cleared his throat. "Draco Malfoy," he said clearly, without stuttering, but in his new, deeper, scratchy voice.

He smirked when Ginny raised her eyebrows in appreciation. "Well that was really good."

I'VE PRACTICED THAT ONE.

Ginny nodded, looking amused, and slightly condescending. "Mm, I imagine. So," she continued before he could comment on her tone. "No problems with the 'dr' sound, the 'm' or the 'f' sound. That's good."

Draco was amused at her business like manner. ONLY A HUNDRED MORE SOUNDS TO GO. He wrote, joking.

"We'll start with 's then, because it's the hardest and you're at your best now, then we'll continue from there. What do you say?" She asked, picking out the 's' sound cards deftly from the pile.

WELL, I DON'T SAY MUCH BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN. He smiled, wryly, knowing that he had sounded self-deprecating the last two times he had written. Ginny hadn't said anything, but he was sure she had noticed. Even though she was taking the role of his teacher, Draco didn't want her to have the upper hand. He decided to stop whining.

"Let's start with 'snake'." Ginny grinned.

Draco groaned. This was going to _thuck _big time.

* * *

"You're free to go, Ms. Weasley, as soon as you like." Madam Pomfrey said, straightening up some laundry the next morning.

Ginny immediately leapt out of her hospital bed and tugged her shoes on. She was about to leave when she heard the quiet click of a door behind her.

She turned to see Draco standing just behind the threshold. He looked as if he wanted to talk and Ginny sighed before heaving herself up to go and see what he wanted. "You know," Ginny said, entering his tiny room. "You look really creepy always lurking in the doorway like that."

Draco didn't smile. Ginny wondered briefly if he had a sense of humor.

YOU'RE LEAVING? Draco scrawled in the air.

"Looks like," Ginny said, her itch to go creeping into her voice. She had assignments to catch up with.

But she didn't leave. She stood there, staring at the blonde boy before her. As her eyes began to wander downward to his defined chest muscles pressing gently against his form-fitting grey Hogwarts tee shirt, Ginny amended her thought. Blonde _man. _She tried not to giggle, reminded of the way Hermione and their other girlfriends had once talked of boys in school.

She realized that she was smiling slightly and wiped the grin off her face and snapped her eyes back up to meet Draco's gaze, to check to see if he had noticed. The odd look in his eyes told her he had.

The distance between them wasn't great originally and Draco taking two steps to close the gap left Ginny slightly dizzy with his scent. She couldn't help herself from feeling lightheaded even more when she saw his stone grey eyes darken with desire.

_For me?_ Ginny thought, amazed, but too breathless to argue that this couldn't possibly be true.

Instead, Draco leaned closer, distracting her. She felt the warmth of his body and her cheeks colored. "W-what are you doing?" she asked, surprised that she had almost no air in her lungs.

He just gave her a half smile before cupping his hands gently on either side of her chin and tilting her head upward. "This." She heard him say clearly and without stuttering before covering her mouth with his.

Ginny's mind exploded into fuzz and she could feel nothing but the tingles of connection where he touched her mouth and face. _Dear Merlin _was all she could think before her legs caused her body to lean into his.

His tongue gently passed over her tingling lips in question and she readily opened her mouth to his, allowing him access to her fully. The tingling sensation flowed deeper into her mouth and over her tongue causing her to let a tiny gasp escape.

She felt and heard Draco growl deeply in the back of his throat in an answer to her sound of enjoyment and she liked it. In response to his carnal noise Ginny took a chance and lowered her mouth to let her teeth nibble gently on his lower lip.

Clearly liking her idea, Draco playfully nipped back and she felt his hand move to cup her cheek and rub a thumb gently in a sensual line tracing her jaw. The sensation caused her to sag further into him, initially throwing her off balance.

Breaking the kiss, Draco deftly caught her in his arms and held her close. He looked down at her as if surprised that she was acting this way and not running from him screaming. _Which I should be doing, _she pointed out to herself. Ginny soon lost that train of thought when his eyes left her lips and connected with hers.

Flip-flop wasn't the right word; it wasn't a powerful enough action to describe what Ginny's stomach did when she looked into those grey pools. Heaved was more like it, but it left her feeling like she'd done something clever rather than nauseous.

She smiled crazily at this internal monologue and Draco raised an eyebrow in question. That brought Ginny back to the present.

Startled into standing upright, Ginny broke Draco's embrace and she held her arms out, pushing him back. "What am I _doing?_" she asked herself aloud.

"K-kissssing me," Draco said, the s sound still hard for him. Ginny glared up at him. He looked too pleased with himself. _Too satisfied,_ a voice in Ginny's head informed her.

She gulped. "I-I-I…" she paused. _Think Ginny!_ She commanded herself. There had to be _something _she was supposed to be doing. "I have to…uh…go to the library!" She yelled up at him triumphantly and then blushed when she realized how loud she had spoken.

They stared at each other for a moment then Ginny turned abruptly on her heel and left the tiny room.

Practically running out of the Hospital wing, Ginny tried to stop her hands from shaking. _Good Merlin,_ Ginny thought to herself as she climbed the staircase that would take her back to her room in Gryffindor tower.

Passing a mirror she glanced at her reflection and was shocked. She was blushing so furiously that it embarrassed her even more and her lips were red with…_ It's not desire. Don't think desire. Don't even think about the word._ Ginny chanted to herself as she turned from the mirror and hurried the rest of the way to her dormitory. She didn't really need to go to the library at all. Instead she made her way back to her room as inconspicuously as possible.

Neville blocked her from successfully trying to sneak into her room. "Come here," he whispered to her, beckoning from the boy's staircase balcony. Ginny looked about and there was no one in the common room but Neville looked serious.

"What?" Ginny asked in a small voice, ascending the staircase to the seventh year boy's dorm. "Is something wrong?"

Neville waited until she was in his room before shutting the door quickly and turning to close her in a hug. "Are you alright? What happened? When you never came back, I-we all thought the worst."

Ginny hugged him back, grateful for platonic contact that was so different from what she had just experienced. It brought her back down to reality. "I'm fine," she stated as Neville released her. "Honestly, I am."

When Neville didn't look convinced, Ginny told him the whole story, about Snape and the tiny group meeting she had been a part of in Draco's room. "And to think, I actually started thinking Blaise, I mean Zabini, was a friend. Really, I felt pretty stupid about that one. But then Theo, I mean Nott, totally yelled at all of us but that's not really the point."

Neville chuckled. "No?"

Ginny exhaled roughly, glaring at him with a smile. "I know I'm rambling, but I'm just excited." Neville nodded and she went on. "We decided to meet, your idea was a hit, in the Room of Requirement next Saturday, the fourth. Do you think that will work for all of us? I mean, with the galleons and all…"

"It will work, Ginny," Neville said heavily. "At least, I'm hoping to Merlin it will."

Ginny nodded, mouth twisting in thought. Neville stood up and rummaged through his bag. "I'll set the galleon now, to give everyone enough time to get the word out." A bunch of papers fell out of his bag. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here are your homework assignments from the past couple of weeks."

She took the papers gingerly, frowning. "What?" She looked through them slowly; all had precise, neat answers to all the questions in different handwriting. "What the hell is this?"

"You don't want it? I can take it back?" Neville teased, reaching his hand out for them.

Ginny snatched them closer to her chest. "No, I want them, but what is it for?" She was startled by Neville's conspiratorial look. Ginny laughed, uncertainly.

"It's a thing we have going. Those students, in all grades and houses, who can't join our rebellion outright or who can't know what's going on, have pitched in to help in this way. It's the only way they can, really. But it does help. With all those people going to the hospital wing all the time, we'd all fail out of school, so this is everyone's way at giving back."

Ginny held up a potion's essay that she should have turned in yesterday but hadn't the time to even read the chapter yet. "They're all in different handwriting."

"Well, yeah," Neville huffed, fiddling with the Galleon. "It's not like one person is assigned to you. If someone's really good at cheering charms, they'll write a whole load of essays for whomever needs one, and so on."

The red head grinned broadly. "This is just what I needed. Where do I sign up for someone to do my work all the time?"

Neville jolted a little, setting the coin down on his bedside table. "Do you need someone to do your work for the rest of the year?"

"No, but who wants to do work when rebellion's a foot?"

Neville snorted. "When you start talking like that, you can leave. Go study or something. Maybe one of our first years can use your help in hexes."

"I'll hex you if you're not nice," she joked, leaving his room. But Neville was already occupied again with the enchanted galleon.

Flipping through the papers, Ginny crossed down to her own dormitory, shaking her head in amazement as she read a Transfiguration worksheet. These answers were all right.

"Sleeping in the boy's dormitory are we?" A voice came from the doorway to the girl's rooms. "Please don't tell me you've worked your way through the Slytherins and are now coming back home to work your magic?"

Ginny stifled a sigh when she saw Nora blocking her way. "Oh hey _Whoreno_," she shot back. "Didn't know you were still here."

Nora's eyes narrowed. "Yes I'm still _here_, and unlike some, I am continuing to be a real Hogwarts student by doing my own homework and not gallivanting around with a Slytherin traitor."

Ginny wasn't in the mood. "Listen, I'm really tired right now and I don't want to deal with you. But first off, a real Hogwarts student wouldn't just be going along like nothing is happening, they would be helping to fight back, in anyway they could, just like the teachers and the castle is doing. And second, if you really knew what was going on, you'd know that he isn't a traitor."

Nora folded her arms, hip leaning against the doorframe, still blocking Ginny's progress. "So you're saying that I should cheat, rebel against my teachers and associate with murders?"

"Yeah, sure, that's exactly what I'm saying," Ginny sighed. "Will you let me through now?" Nora moved ever so slightly to the side, allowing Ginny to pass. "Thanks," the redhead mumbled.

Nora grabbed her arm before she could make it all the way through. Dragging her close she whispered in a frightened, hysterical tone. "Listen, Ginny, they have my dad and mum," Nora's voice was hot in Ginny's ear but she tried not to squirm. "Please, I thought that maybe cooperation with the Carrow's was enough, but if I turn Malfoy over to them…"

Ginny pulled away from the girl's mouth. "You disgust me." She said, trying to wrench her arm away but Nora grabbed afresh with both hands.

"Ginny, I couldn't think of anything else to do. Please forgive me; please let me join your group. Please…we were friends once."

"That was before you cursed me and threatened my friends." Ginny looked coolly down at the dark haired girl whose eyes were now filling with tears. Ginny reconsidered. She wasn't heartless. "Let my arm go, and I'll think about it."

Nora dropped her arm immediately, regaining her composure, a wiping tears away. "Thanks," she said, voice still quivering slightly. "You won't regret it," Nora added before disappearing down the stairs.

Ginny plunked down onto her bed, books and papers spilling out of her bag unchecked but she didn't care. Closing her eyes she tried to process what had happened over the past two days. Feeling a piece of parchment near her right hand she picked it up and cracked one eye open to look at it. Charms essay, due tomorrow. She grinned and then sat up, both eyes wide open as she remembered a gift from Fred and George sitting at the bottom of her trunk: A wind up mouse with a little message compartment.

Since she didn't have an owl, they had given this to her as compensation. It didn't travel very far, but then again, Fred and George hadn't wanted to give her any temptation to write home.

Quickly, she scrawled a note.

_Tomorrow? I expect S's and A through K all done by then._

_G._

She didn't think she needed to sign her name. This would give her a leg up, she decided as she shoved the note into the slot on the mouse's back. She wouldn't be as embarrassed to see him again if she just acted like nothing happened and she wasn't affected. Plus she wouldn't have to worry about guessing the time for their next session since they hadn't decided on one before she had run out of the hospital wing.

_Like a child,_ Ginny added to herself, embarrassed anyway, even with no one around. She grabbed the mouse and turned the key it had instead of a tail. The creature shuddered to life and squeaked amiably, blinking up at the girl. "Draco Malfoy," she said quietly but clearly. "Hospital wing, and make sure no one sees you. I'm expecting a note back, so wait for his reply."

The mouse squeaked again and took off, jumping down from her hand and sliding down a rouge bed sheet to the ground before disappearing out the door.

It arrived back twenty minutes later, squeaking impatiently at the foot of Ginny's bed. She grabbed it and unrolled the new note it carried.

_See you then._

_P.S. Your handwriting is terrible and I don't like the mouse._

Ginny rolled her eyes.

**

* * *

Love you all but I'm off to write moreeeee...**


End file.
